Ideas for retaining wall

[cstmg8]

I need some suggestions for a smallish retaining wall between my pond and new building. There's about 8-9' between the pond and corner of the building. My goal is a flat and wide enough space to drive my 52" zero turn through.
I've thought about timbers, but how would I use deadmen? Should I just dig a trench and pour a foundation for stone/block?
It doesn't have to be perfectly flat, just low enough grade to drive the zero turn across. Aesthetically pleasing would be nice from the pond side.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[joey1320]

Only because I want to do it but have you seen the concrete bag retaining walls?

4'+ rebar is used to anchor it.

 

[cstmg8]

Only because I want to do it but have you seen the concrete bag retaining walls?



4'+ rebar is used to anchor it.

Do you just wet it and let the paper bags deteriorate?? Pretty cool idea, but not sure about the debris in the pond?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[bigdave_185]

My local cement plant makes these and sells them for cheap, 2x2x6 about 3800 lbs each



They are stackable up to 3 I believe without anything needed, the interlock via the V on all sides.

$55 each block and an hefty delivery fee
I had 75 delivered

Bolted my fence to them and then back filled the farmers road behind the blocks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[joey1320]

Do you just wet it and let the paper bags deteriorate?? Pretty cool idea, but not sure about the debris in the pond?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Correct. Leave the bags as they come from the store, set, stack, anchor and wet. The concrete will also pull in moisture from the air.

For some weird reason I want to build one of these even though I have no reason or need for one

 

[Firebrick43]

Timbers will rot eventually. Most interlocking walls will move over time to due to freezing soil expanding. So do you want to rebuild every so many years?

More permanent would be steel reinforced poured wall on a footer with a tie wall back into the soil. If using interlocking blocks use rebar and grout every few cells for a stronger wall.

No matter which wall you use, put 6" of crushed stone all the way up the back side of the wall and a footer drain pipe out to the pond. This will keep the freezing of the soils on the back side to a minimum and reduce rot of the wood.

Also, I sure home your going to remove that tree close to the foundation

 

[jhelrey]

We need more info... Where is the OP located?

 

[cstmg8]

Columbus ohio

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[p00p]

Cement bags, landscape fabric and topped with 21AA.

 

[bigdave_185]

21 AA what do you do with those batteries ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[matt_i]

High end would be a poured wall.

You could potentially DIY but the cost of wood products needed to form it would be quite high. And the area could drive the need for a pump truck. You really don't want to get a standard concrete truck stuck.

Higher end would be a brick-ledge added to the foundation/footer and then brick or stacked stone.

Then backfill.

Sorry, I know this comment doesn't help now, but, I think it could have been done more easily when pouring for the building foundation....easier to get the truck close and already have the formed-wall crew there on-site.

 

[Ron_J]

Like has been said, it kinda depends on how much you want to spend up front as opposed to rebuild later.

I built with used railroad ties, about 12 years ago and they are still good as the day we put them in, but I don't expect them to last forever. I'm sure a poured wall would last longer, but it also would have cost more.

No matter what you built with, the key is in the design. Make sure you have a good foundation and account for water behind the wall.

Water will destroy pretty much anything you use, but it you give it a way to drain away, it will make a big difference.

 

[acer66]

Railroad ties will rot and are an ideal breeding ground for wasps etc besides being full of chemicals.

I would do something in concrete or if you have a natural source of rocks around use those.
And like said managing the water via drain pipes etc is very important.

 

[Jeff95TA]

If you want it to look nice from the pond side, I would do Versa-Lok. Once you have a solid base, they're really easy to put together with the interlocking pins.

 

[sick467]

What ever you do, bring the top of the wall up above the upper grade...Zero turns are much more squirrelly than most mowers and a ride off that wall into the pond might be your last.

Make the upper grade as flat as possible and put drain tile along the wall to keep it dried out.

I like the formed concrete idea the best with dead-men every 16 feet or so. Concrete forms can be rented and wold save you the lumber bill to some degree. They are easier to use and fairly versitile...you just need to read up on the tricks of that trade and recruit a helper.

 

[ace10]

Obviously the time to deal with this would have been during site work and walls. But that ship has sailed.

What's the tree that's three feet from your building?

Could you pull back some soil from the foundation in order to reduce the scale of the wall project? And then extend your siding down.

Does the corner of the building extend right into the dam? Where is the spillway?

 

[yeldogt]

What's the problem going around the pond ... is the pond nice looking ?

You can berm earth more than many think ..... a few large rocks and proper grasses to hold the soil.

I'm surprised you could build that close to the pond -- if so can you fill a bit to get an extra few feet?

Nothing "built" will look pretty .. I like natural landscapes ... tend toward finding solutions away from hardscape

 

[Antoin]

Gabion baskets.
Galvanised wire baskets filled with rock/ stone.
Water wont erode the stone away but I am not sure if the galvanised wire basket would fail after a while.

 

[sierradmax]

I guess environmental Management in Ohio is less strict than in my state. I couldn't build within 200' of that pond.

 

[nadogail]

I have stacked jute sacks filled with dry concrete mix. The sacks conform nicely to each other and they biodegrade.

 

[cstmg8]

What's the problem going around the pond ... is the pond nice looking ?

You can berm earth more than many think ..... a few large rocks and proper grasses to hold the soil.

I'm surprised you could build that close to the pond -- if so can you fill a bit to get an extra few feet?

Nothing "built" will look pretty .. I like natural landscapes ... tend toward finding solutions away from hardscape

I definitely agree, the more natural the better, but I also want to be able to mow back there. The other side of the pond gets a bit swampy at times and ruts up if I drive through it.
I'll see if I can dig up before pics.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[cstmg8]

This is that same area, pre building.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Steroblan]

Place boulders along the edge of the pond and backfill with drain rock cobbles and then top with 3/4" crushed rock. It would look semi - natural.

 

[cstmg8]

Lots of great suggestions. I'm going to go through the logistics of completing each one, and see if any work best for the area/access.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Lynden]

Have you looked at any of the plantable retaining wall systems? They look good and are fairly easy to construct. I like the looks of the Versa-Green wall, but there are many different systems to choose from.

https://www.versa-lok.com/products/residential/versa-green/

https://www.google.com/search?rls=e...hWrFTQIHQUPAtUQjJkEegQIARAB&biw=1115&bih=1019

Another option is a concrete (or wood) crib wall.

https://www.google.com/search?q=con...EI6w-gSvjo2oBw&bih=994&biw=1115&client=safari

 

[yeldogt]

Would see if I filling a bit would work .... it's too nice looking for any ugly hardscaping.

Have been in your situation more times than I want to think about -- all this space and some problem area gets in the way. Often you have to go in stages .... grade the area and see how it looks. Move from there.

I'm having some issues on my current project .. the property is a slope and I have had to cut into it. it's a berm here and a berm there. Walls = expense to build and maintain. Can be dangerous.

 

[acer66]

I have stacked jute sacks filled with dry concrete mix. The sacks conform nicely to each other and they biodegrade.

I did not know that, do you know what brands use bio degradable bags?

 

[kj_mustang]

I would fill a little more closer to the pond and up hill some near that corner and then place heavy landscape fabric and rip rap sized stone from the building down to the water in an area as large as you want. You don't have to worry about cutting grass then.

 

[Bent Handle]

I’d personally use natural limestone boulder wall.

 

[cstmg8]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I ended up kind of happening upon some sandstone boulders that I thought would work pretty well. I'm starting out with three that range from 2100 lbs to 2500 lbs. I was able to get two of them placed tonight with the lull. Hopefully I'll have time to place the last one tomorrow.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[imjustdave]

think you need 20 + of those need a base below otherwise they will slowly sink and fall in the pond.
any idea how deep it is? man made?
I too am shocked you can build that close.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[cstmg8]

think you need 20 + of those need a base below otherwise they will slowly sink and fall in the pond.
any idea how deep it is? man made?
I too am shocked you can build that close.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

Definitely man made, the end near the building is pretty shallow, 3-4 ft average, the deepest point when full is 11-12'.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Copymutt]

Timber retaining wall last summer. 4’ tall. To create dead men I welded a foot of all thread to rebar. Welded scrap steel plate to the anchor end of the 8’ rebar and ran the all thread end they the 4x6 PT posts. Rebar was buried down 12”.

 

[Copymutt]

Timber retaining wall last summer. 4’ tall. To create dead men I welded a foot of all thread to rebar. Welded scrap steel plate to the anchor end of the 8’ rebar and ran the all thread end they the 4x6 PT posts. Rebar was buried down 12”. Any sign of shift can be mitigated by tightening the nuts on the all thread.

 

[cstmg8]

It's a start. I'll get a much better idea of what is needed when I start some final grading. If I have to hide a few steel posts in there to help hold them back it's no big deal.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[PugetDude]

Timber retaining wall last summer. 4’ tall. To create dead men I welded a foot of all thread to rebar. Welded scrap steel plate to the anchor end of the 8’ rebar and ran the all thread end they the 4x6 PT posts. Rebar was buried down 12”.

I built a 8'-10' high retaining wall out of RR ties 30 years ago, we staked it with 1/2" rebar every 3' or so. At the 3' and 6' levels we staked heavy 36" wide gauge chain-link fence to the top of the row, then backfilled. That wall is still standing.

 

[Marvin Hagen]

Stay away from the railroad ties you could get a fine for contaminating the ground and the water.

 

[Pntyrmvr]

And the really juicy ties sweat in the summer heat and waft that great creosote smell across your yard.


“Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money.”

 

[cstmg8]

Yeah, unfortunately railroad ties aren't an option this close to the pond.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

 

[MongoTA]

Years ago (20 years?) down by the lake I did a stacked running bond wall out of bags of quikrete. Approved by the town. I cut maybe a 10" x 12" square of paper out of the side of each bag as I set them, so mix would be touching mix from course to course. Maybe 24" tall total. Very slight offset between courses so the wall leans back into grade. I planted ivy on top, the ivy cascades over to cover the facade facing the water. There has been minimal degradation over the years with New England freeze/thaw cycles.

Quikrete for one has an official bagged product for this, called "Rip Rap". Wasn't available in my area back then. It's laborious, but it does go fast.

Right now I'm doing a wet wall, with a bit of an "S" curve to it. Roughly 38" high. Stones are from digging on my property, the cement mix is screened subsoil mixed with portland. Done on the cheap. The facade of stone is dry stacked, then everything behind is infilled with mortar and additional stone from behind. I'm not much of a mason, so this was my best solution. Overall it keeps the stone on the face of the wall looking fairly clean. I use cardboard boxes and pieces of scrap ply and even a couple of old pallets on the back of the wall as I build vertical, it prevents the wet mix from oozing out. Not the proper way, but it's my way. lol Then the next day, shift it all down to the next part of the wall. Two weeks and I've done maybe 60' complete with another 15' partially done. Another 40' to go.

More labor required than the retaining wall made from stacked bags of cement, takes longer, but looks better.

Fastest would be those modular concrete blocks. A few weeks ago I was getting a slew of FB marketplace adds for "Australian Limestone Blocks" (I think that's what they were called). Same idea, I'm guessing it's a slightly prettier version of those large concrete modular blocks.

This would be fast, and with hydraulics doing the heavy lifting it would be easy on your back. Though you'd need equipment with access to stack the wall. And those "limestone" blocks looked decent, at least in their ads.