How Retaining Walls Work To Hold Back The Earth
We have all seen retaining walls at one time or another. Everyone wonders at some point how they do their job. Our curiosity is even worse when we see one that is terribly high and holding back tons of earth. Lets take a closer look at these embankments and find out just how they do their job.
One wall that is less seen is the cantilever wall. They are amazingly high. One has to wonder how they can stay erect with so much weight pushed against it. The secret is what cannot be seen. There is a footing behind them on which tons of earth is placed. In essence, it is the the soil itself that keeps these walls upright and in place.
Wherever construction is being done you will most often see a sheet piling wall. In this instance a hammer like device that is attached to a large crane pounds sheets of steel or wood pylons two thirds of the way into the earths surface. The exposed part of the material will hold back the earth. When necessary tiebacks can be used to stop the wall from falling. This method is used for highway overpasses and the like.
In many cases a smaller, shorter wall is needed. These are known as gravity walls. Most of the weight is placed at the walls bottom. The addition of a slant to the back adds to the ability it has to hold back more weight as the earth pushes against it.
A block wall is similar to the gravity wall. The main difference is that the blocks used here are all interlocking pieces similar to what you would see in children’s interlocking pieces. It turns single units into one large piece that is suitable for the job it is meant to do.
Dating back to ancient Rome, the retaining wall was used. Made up of steel, concrete, wood, and more; each material is chosen for the work it will be expected to perform. For major projects a structural engineer is the best one to decide the material to be used and how it should be constructed.
Appearance does not have to be given up in wall made to hold back the earth. A step wall is one of the best examples of how elaborate plants, flowers, and shrubs add beauty to what otherwise would be a bit blase. They are also excellent ways in which erosion cam be controlled.
There is much beauty to be found in retaining walls. The surrounding material will dictate what type of wall needs to be built, but everyone of them can be made decorative with proper landscaping. Now that you know the measures taken to build an abutment that will serve its purpose efficiently, it is easier to appreciate the work that went into making it.
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