Retaining Wall Design

Retaining walls can be a beautiful feature in your landscaping and help you utilize a piece of property that is on several different levels. As interesting and creative as you may want them to be, it is important that you have an engineer design the retaining wall so that it will give you satisfaction, enhance your property for many years to come and not fail over time.

Retaining walls can be expensive depending on the materials used, but it is also important to use the correct materials in order to make endure the structural load. Jones & DeMille engineers, located throughout Utah, can review the different types of retaining walls that will work with what you have envisioned for your landscape.

Retaining Wall Requirements

When approaching the construction of a retaining wall there is a lot more to consider than just what it looks like. Jones & DeMille Engineering (J&DE) is very experienced in retaining wall design of all sizes and they know and understand what is required to build a retaining wall that will last over time and the proper construction of the retaining wall.

Most people are unaware that if a retaining wall is going to be 4’ or higher, the law requires that the retaining wall be designed by a licensed engineer. Jones & DeMille Engineering, located in eight different offices throughout the state of Utah, is also well versed with local codes as to how high retaining walls can be. J&DE has a complete understanding and is very experienced in knowing what is required from the International Building Code, state regulations and local ordinances. J&DE will help with the permitting process and make the development of the retaining wall, from inception to completion, a rewarding experience.

What Type of Retaining Wall Do I Need?

There are four typical types of retaining walls:

1. Gravity Wall – The gravity retaining wall is a standard type wall that holds back the dirt by its own weight. The internal leverage and pressure of the dirt behind the wall is very high and it can fail or topple quit easily if not engineered or designed correctly with the proper foundation and engineered design.
2. Piling Wall – Pilings are made of either wood, reinforced concrete, or steel. Pilings are very long, they are driven to great depths into the soil and from an engineer’s viewpoint are generally very strong and can withstand a great deal of pressure. Of course, an engineer needs to design the pilings retaining wall to calculate the loads that it can withstand for the height and type of retaining wall needed.
3. Cantilever Wall – The cantilever wall is an engineering marvel. The cantilever design uses the weight of the soil to actually stabilize itself by putting a load on the foundation that extends back from the wall itself! Engineering brilliance! Depending on how high you want your wall to be will determine how much of a cantilever will be needed. J&DE’s engineers can design the correct load amounts and design a cantilever retaining wall that will last for the ages.
4. Anchored Wall – The anchored retaining wall uses cables and anchors driven deep into the earth behind the retaining wall and then attached to the wall itself. The weight of the wall is literally held up by the anchors pulling against the dirt behind it. To know how long the cable and how big the anchor needs to be, an engineer needs to calculate and design the retaining wall so that it won’t fail prematurely.

Foundation First

As with houses, the correct foundation will make all of the difference in the long run. If you want your retaining wall to last and look good for many years to come, it is imperative that you have it engineered correctly and have an engineer design it.

Making sure that the proper foundation for the retaining wall is the first item that the engineer will design. The engineer will take into account the types of materials that will be used to create the retaining wall – blocks, cement, wood, rocks, segmental wall, etc., and then the engineer will design the foundation and the retaining wall to be in compliance with the International Building Code, state codes and local requirements.

Weep holes, proper drainage and other safety measures must be implemented into the design so that the retaining wall doesn’t create potentially unforeseen risks for property damage. J&DE’s engineers know exactly what to look for, and how to engineer the retaining wall to avoid costly problems. Jones & DeMille Engineering also has an on-site ASTM, AASHTO, CCRL certified materials testing lab to test the dirt and materials used in the construction of the retaining wall to make sure that it is built to code and to the engineer’s specifications and design.

Have an Existing Retaining Wall that Needs Repair?

Not all retaining walls that have been installed in the past have been engineered by qualified engineers with well thought out designs and as a result have failed, or are in the process of failing. Jones & DeMille engineers can assess the damage and calculate the actual load that made the existing retaining wall fail and then design possible solutions. They will evaluate the foundation, the materials used to build the existing wall and determine the best solution. J&DE engineers can solve your problem!

Aesthetically Pleasing

J&DE engineers will also make sure that the retaining wall is aesthetically pleasing and increases the value of your property. The engineer will make sure that the retaining wall is an asset to the surrounding area and that it will be a valuable addition.

Jones & DeMille engineers can design home retaining walls and larger retaining walls that are constructed to keep roadways safe, or large buildings protected. Our engineers do it ALL!