Retaining wall thoughts

[Jking24]

so I'm going to be adding a small retaining wall to my back yard and bringing in some fill to take some grade out to give the kids a more usable yard. The wall will be about 70 feet long and range from about 8"to 24". My question is. Should i bring the fill in first spread and compact it. Then cut into the face of the newly compacted hill side and build the wall or build the wall first and then backfill to it. This is the way i built a previous smaller wall. But that wall was more astetic with the way the grade was their is very minimal loading of the other wall. I also felt like i used alot more stone. Any thoughts or opinions are appreciated

 

[TommyK]

The more efficient approach is to build the wall first, then backfill.

 

[Jking24]

The more efficient approach is to build the wall first, then backfill.

thanks I forgot to add in the original post i have a bobcat and can borrow a mini ex. I actually think it may be faster the other way because i will be able to move the dirt with out any worries of damaging the wall. But my main concern is getting good compaction

 

[JoeMcGov]

How do you plan to pour the footing and wall?

 

[matt_i]

My thought is that any retaining wall should have a footing, multi drain paths, should not be built on a flat plane (as viewed from the top), and have "deadmen" retainers back into the soil.

There was a fairly awesome failure in a neighborhood I lived in once in ATL, new construction and a ~15' high flat-planed brick retaining wall with no apparent drainage collapsed after a heavy rain. Nobody was injured but two cars were crushed to "totaled" status and the builder was on the hook for reparations.

I would back fill it later as the very last step.

 

[RTBS]

Either way would work. Do whatever is easier for construction. Use a footing and place it on native soil below any topsoil. Make sure you don't place it in any fill unless it's done with structural fill and proper compaction.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[yeldogt]

What kind of a wall ?

I would not need any kind of a railing for that height .. but. 24" could still be dangerous if someone ran off of it.

People have been building dry stacked stone walls for centuries to contain these heights ... obviously this would be more expensive vs doing one of the modern concrete based block systems. You don't need a rigid block wall with a footing .. that would work as well -- but, most don't have the skill to build and they are less forgiving when it comes to construction.

I like doing the wall first ...with the open system having it above the ground level is nice and water can still flow.

 

[Jking24]

The wall will be dry stacked/ glued retaining block. I like them because they do not generally retain water but Their will be stone behind the wall and drain pipe at the footing. The fitting will be compacted cr6

 

[Bretny]

Real good compaction comes from time and rain. Build the wall and back fill behind it with gravel just like you said. Add some gravel add more dirt behind it then use the machine to compact. I would just hand tamp the gravel.

A 24in retaining wall is not that high...and 8in I wouldnt even mess with.

 

[Jking24]

The more efficient approach is to build the wall first, then backfill.

Real good compaction comes from time and rain. Build the wall and back fill behind it with gravel just like you said. Add some gravel add more dirt behind it then use the machine to compact. I would just hand tamp the gravel.

A 24in retaining wall is not that high...and 8in I wouldnt even mess with.

Their won't be much at 8" the wall is basically running into a hill. It will be L shaped and both ends will run into the hill side. The majority will be at roughly 16-18 "
With the corner being the highest part. Will probably have 6-8' each way close to 2'