Can we discuss tie walls?

[hodag]

I am building a new garage on my property. To do so, I need to bring more of my back yard up to level. I need to put in a retaining wall on the back corner of my property, approx, 5'-6' high and 25 feet long.

Im planning on using railroad ties, and not the decorative timbers. Im on a tight budget, so T-block is out of the question. I have a connection for rr ties, so I can get them for $5 apiece.

How do you guys like to build them? Do you use dead-men or wall ties? How far apart, and how many courses in between do you put the dead-men?

Thanks for the help.

Hodag

 

[IDASHO]

Is this within a city, and subject to codes?

If so, Im pretty sure all of your fill, and that wall, will have to be engineered and approved to work for you. As the footings must be poured onto undisturbed or engineered soil.

I had a similar issue with my garage, but opted to simply set the back wall on a very large stemwall.

Worked out great. But it did cost a good deal, mainly in concrete.

Total height was 8' from the bottom of the footing to the top of the stemwall.

 

[kool55]

When I was a kid at home my dad put up alot of rr tie walls at home. i am talking a thousand plus ties. I can

 

[kool55]

When I was a kid at home my dad put up alot of rr tie walls at home. i am talking a thousand plus ties. I can not remember for sure but maybe every second tie he put in a tieback. One thing to remember is rr ties do not last forever. He later had many of them repaced with brick.
Mabey because the rr ties came from an old abandoned rr line.[typing mistake]

 

[Subpuppy2926]

I just built a retaining wall out of 18" bricks. In some places wall ended up being 5' tall. Store where I purchased brick recommended a fiber mesh every two layers. I started by laying two rows then installing mess, which is 4' wide. Then back filled dirt and started process again. I don't see why one could not use this same material with rr ties. Just make sure to off set joints and shift each row in atleast an inch. Mesh material can be purchased at any brick or masonary store.