Concrete retaining walls: erection technology from

As a site for construction, and the personal plot is not always ideally smooth. And if the angle of inclination is more than 80 degrees, then for safety reasons it would be advisable to carry out the so-called “conservation” of the mobile soil. For this purpose, retaining walls are installed, designed to prevent earthen landslides on the slope.

Device and functions of retaining walls

Concrete retaining walls can be of various designs, determined by the functions performed by a particular building.

In the simplest sense, there are two types of retaining walls:

• Decorative.
• Fortifications.

The differences between these two types are that for each of them there must be a certain degree of impact and load.

But the construction itself, invariably consists of the following parts:

1. Underground part or foundation, which accounts for all the load pressure of the soil and the structure itself.
2. Body or ground part. Such a wall protects the elevation on the site and from the outside can be both flat and oblique.
3. Protective communications (drainage and drainage). When designing a structure, you should take care to drain the excess water and moisture that constantly accumulates on the internal surfaces of such structures.

Retaining walls perform the following functions:

What can affect the stability of retaining walls

Очень важными качествами подпорных стенок является устойчивость и возможность переносить высокое давление. В противном случае, сооружение будет подвержено разрушению, а грунт, соответственно, попросту сползет. На прочность таких конструкций может влиять целый ряд факторов, начиная от собственного веса строения и заканчивая давлением почвы (читайте также статью «Полиуретановые эмали для бетона и иные виды материалов для окрашивания полов»).

Consider what needs to be considered before making a retaining wall of concrete:

• The level of vibration, for example, if railway tracks are located not far away.

Tip! In the event that the height of the retaining wall exceeds 2 meters, its construction should also take into account the strength of the wind characteristic of a particular area.

• Seismic phenomena of any nature, specific to a particular region.
• Groundwater level and the possibility of washing away by rainwater.
• Swelling of the soil in the winter.

In many ways, the stability of this design is determined by the thickness of the wall. This parameter is determined by both the height and the type of soil on which it is installed. In the event that the support is high and is installed on soft soils, it is necessary to increase the width of the wall.

Highlights in retaining wall organization

The construction of retaining walls made of concrete is a very complicated technological process that requires a number of calculations. Here, factors that affect reliability, durability and, consequently, service life should be taken into account.

If specialists perform such calculations, then the work will be guaranteed to be carried out in accordance with all rules and standards. But what should you do if you decide to install precast concrete retaining walls yourself?

Here the following instruction will help you:

1. Installation of retaining walls with their own hands should be carried out only on stable soils, namely, on clay, rubble, gravel, sandy loam, etc.
2. For successful arrangement it is necessary that the freezing of the soil is no more than one and a half meters from the soil surface.
3. In the case of self-arrangement of the wall you should remember that the ground part should not be more than 1.4 meters. For the arrangement of higher structures, it is necessary to resort to the help of professionals who are able to carry out special calculations and build a structure in accordance with all norms and taking into account the specific features of the territory.
4. Groundwater should be located at least one meter from the surface. It is better if their depth is more than one and a half meters.

Arrangement of the underground part

Note! If the height of the retaining walls exceeds 30 cm, then in this case, laying a solid foundation is imperative. In case of work on unstable and soft soils, the depth of the foundation should be increased.

Consider how the depth of the foundation is calculated depending on the soil looseness:

1. If the ground is fairly dense, the ratio of the depth of the foundation to the height of the support above the ground should be calculated as 1: 4.
2. In the case of work on soils of medium friability, it is necessary that the depth of the foundation is one third of the height of the support.
3. For loose and unstable soils, it is necessary that the depth of the foundation is half the height of the wall.

Tip! A solid foundation should consist of gravel or rubble, as well as sand compacted with heavy clay or cement. Concrete mortar is poured into pre-prepared formwork following the example of strip foundations.

The technology of a retaining wall of concrete involves not only pouring a high-quality foundation and erecting a solid wall on it. Here you should also take care of waterproofing, because moisture will have a very negative effect on the inner side of the structure.

Therefore, here you need to take care of the organization of drainage, drainage, as well as competently protect the structure from moisture.

How to organize drainage, drainage and waterproofing

Drainage can be of three types:

The draining layer is the space between the slope and the wall that needs to be filled with coarse-grained soil. It is a soil mixed with coarse sand, gravel or pebbles. Also there will be useful small pieces of crushed bricks.

Arrange a concrete retaining wall

Concrete walls are considered to be the most durable structures. If we are talking about precast concrete structures, then you may need to cut the concrete with diamond circles.

But most often concrete walls are formed by the pouring method:

1. Swarm a trench, the depth of which is determined in accordance with the height of the wall and the nature of the soil, as mentioned above.
2. At the bottom of the trench fall asleep mixture of gravel and gravel.
3. We lay the reinforcement cage of any shape.
4. Install the formwork.
5. Fill the concrete. Do not forget to provide pipes for drainage. It is also possible to make holes in the wall after the concrete has set in, by drilling diamond holes in the concrete.

1. When the concrete dries, the formwork can be removed.
2. Align the walls with plaster.
3. Now you can carry out any facing work.

Conclusion

Если вы владелец участка с холмистым рельефом, то не стоит отчаиваться. За счет установки подпорных стен, вы можете создать эффектный ландшафт около вашего дома. Но прежде чем приступить, вам обязательно нужно составить план и определить рыхлость почвы, для чего луче воспользоваться услугами специалистов (см.также статью «Бетонные безнапорные трубы: нормативные документы, применение, альтернативы»).

From the video in this article you can learn more about the device and installation of concrete retaining structure.