Railroad Tie Retaining Wall

[rsanter]

I don't think you need a retaining wall so much as a way to deflect the excess runoff when it happens.

If it was me I think I would dig the slope back a bit to a little shallower angle.
Install a mini retaining wall using the RR ties or stacking stones as a way to deflect any runoff till the ivy grows in. Then I would get plants and ivy growing on that slope

Bob

 

[Kaizen]

Those new pics tell a little more. guessing they filled the top to make that nice front yard. I think I would pull those existing ties near the driveway in case they buried a deadman on the driveway side.....not the way it should be done but I've seen it. a little fill and some native plants along with some smoothing should take care of that slope. pretty clear it was an attempt to stop erosion. I am not sure you will need a retaining wall once you get plants growing. whatever is at the street side of that slope seems to be doing the job. if it ends up needing to be done I would cut in a couple feet so if someone opens their door it doesn't hit the wall.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Like kaizen mentioned, the new pics show a better picture of what you have.

Cutting the slope back and getting some green to grow will help with erosion in the future but I still think you're going to need some sort of retaining wall. If you get some decent rains or snow fall (this is why adding a general location to your profile helps other members giving you advice) I believe you'll want some type of seperation between the yard and driveway, a 16-20" wall would work and look nice also.

 

[SteveCh]

I only planned on going 2-3 RR ties high up to the brick planter.

Ok, I cancel my earlier advice from the problems I incurred due to forgoing deadmen. My walls are maybe 6-7 RR ties high with soil all the way to the top behind them. For 2-3 ties high, I cannot see a problem in your situation if you don't install deadmen. All you need to do is stack the ties, I'd set each subsequent row a couple inches back from the lower one, then drill holes vertically to stick some pieces of rebar to tie the ties together. The long drill bits to do this are maybe $5 [spade bits]. There isn't gonna be much pressure from the soil trying to shove the ties out into the driveway. Simple stuff.

 

[ford33]

Consider regrading the hill and planting vegetation to slow erosion. It would look nice and provide a less expensive solution than a wood or block wall.

BTW, I have a RR wall on my townhome property. The wall is 25 years old and about 6 feet high in some places and 120 feet long. It is failing due to wood rot. Bee's and wasps make nests in the wood wall and people nearby are spraying to get rid of the pests.

The HOA plans to replace the wall with concrete block. It is expensive but will be a better solution than wood ties.

 

[southbayduramax]

Like kaizen mentioned, the new pics show a better picture of what you have.

Cutting the slope back and getting some green to grow will help with erosion in the future but I still think you're going to need some sort of retaining wall. If you get some decent rains or snow fall (this is why adding a general location to your profile helps other members giving you advice) I believe you'll want some type of seperation between the yard and driveway, a 16-20" wall would work and look nice also.

Sorry about that, I'll update my profile. I'm right outside Los Angeles so very little rain, and no snow.

I would rather not cut the slop back if I can avoid it because the front yard up there is pretty nice.



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[southbayduramax]

From what I am gathering here, this is what I am thinking:

-Stick to 2 ties high on the lower end of the driveway where their is less grade
- step up to 3 high as I get further up and the grade increases.
-set the upper rows of ties a couple inches in towards the hill than the tie below it, then drill holes at the ends and drive stakes.
- I will bed the ties with gravel for drainage.
-On the inside, I will lay down landscape fabric with a pipe with holes in it for drainage, and gravel on top of that. Then back fill the dirt on top of all of that.

How's that sound?


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[bobbyhawk]

As above, rip them out and start over with retaining wall block.

 

[Kaizen]

Sorry about that, I'll update my profile. I'm right outside Los Angeles so very little rain, and no snow.

I would rather not cut the slop back if I can avoid it because the front yard up there is pretty nice.



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Then add to it. point is to make a consistent slope, plant some stuff, mulch, baby it for the summer. done and done

 

[Falcon67]

I'll toss in 0.02 worth -
My place is flat as a pancake, would love to have some texture. If it was me, I'd think about doing a low wall of rock or brick right there at the end of the drive with some drain holes. Just enough to keep the lower end in place. What I see a lot around here - usually not a lot of rain and minimal snow - is something like chain link laid and anchored on a slope, then covered with heavy rock. Ir just plantings like low growth Juniper and such.

 

[wssix99]

How's that sound?

It sounds good. The biggest thing is to get water out from behind the wall. It's water pressure, not the dirt pressure that destroys these walls. But, you do have a good slope on top (with extra weight) and (depending on where you are) some of the LA soils aren't the most stable, so a few deadmen should buy you additional longevity.

 

[collmorgen]

I've gone three layers high without deadmen and had no problem but I step the wall back about three inches with each course. Line with landscape fabric and use rebar stakes into the soil.

 

[jives]

I see no reason for a retaining wall. The top part of the slope is much steeper than the bottom and it has not collapsed on the lower part. That being said, erosion is your biggest issue, and the best way to take care of that is proper planting. Here is what I would do. . .

Get rid of the RR ties and put in a curb on the uphill side. The curb will keep soil from spilling out on the driveway. Can the asphalt contractors do this? Also, on the junction between the driveway and the curb there should be a swale (gutter) to carry away spillover. If the asphalt guys cannot build a curb, the easiest thing would be 6 x 6 or 8 x 8 PT posts placed in a bed of gravel and re-bar driven straight through the post as deep as you can go. How/where you terminate the curb (e.g., at the brick planter) is up to you. Then, grade out the slope and plant heavily the right groundcover. While you are at it, replace the RR ties at the top of the slope.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Check to see if you can find a supplier and buy new cross ties. The ones used are already so bad a shape the railroads removed them. WHY WOULD YOU BUY SOME THING TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR BEING ROTTEN. Use landscape block, large ones not the $1.55 ones and do it right one time and be done with it. Also is you are set on using cross ties pick the heavy ones as they aren't hollow already from termites.