Cement Bag Retaining Wall

[EddieWalker]

Maybe I miss understood. Is this for the overflow of a pond or a culvert in a creek/ditch? If it is in a pond, the water will work it's way down the side of the pipe unless you specifically seal it. If it's a culvert, like in the pictures posted, go for it. I have done this with several culverts, both at the entrance into it and where the water exits the pipe. I prefer 50 or 60 pound sacks over 80. It's a lot cheaper, lighter and nearly the same coverage. Just not as deep, but that's not gonna matter. After stacking them, I pound the rebar through them. Dry sacks are real easy to get rebar through with a hammer.

 

[Threepoint]

Here's part two of the lunch bag video. Culvert Bricking With Cement Bags Part 2 - YouTube

Interesting idea.:thumbsup: I need to rebuild some wing walls for two large culverts that carry occasional but heavy runoff. I originally used 6" -8" gabion, hand-stacked dry. After 13 years, it needs either rework or replacement.

In the part-two video, it looks like the paper is still fully intact on the concrete bricks, and no vegetation has yet grown in the back-fill. So I'm wondering about long-term performance after repeated heavy run-off. Would be neat to see a follow-up video in a couple of years.

It also looks like they stacked the bags of concrete straight up. Wouldn't it strengthen the wall to corbel the bags into the slope with each successive lift? I seen that done a lot with both masonry and timber-tie retaining walls to create lateral counter pressure. Also wondering if backfilling part way up with 3/4" crushed stone (not river run or pea gravel) would help against failure from hydrostatic pressure.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Maybe I miss understood. Is this for the overflow of a pond or a culvert in a creek/ditch? If it is in a pond, the water will work it's way down the side of the pipe unless you specifically seal it. If it's a culvert, like in the pictures posted, go for it. I have done this with several culverts, both at the entrance into it and where the water exits the pipe. I prefer 50 or 60 pound sacks over 80. It's a lot cheaper, lighter and nearly the same coverage. Just not as deep, but that's not gonna matter. After stacking them, I pound the rebar through them. Dry sacks are real easy to get rebar through with a hammer.

2.5 acre pond. has a spillway pipe of about 18 inches that is functioning fine. IF debris piles up around the pipe it lifts the water level an inch or so...I was surprised by that. There is an active stream that feeds the pond as well as a couple springs on the bottom of the pond. At the far end of the dam, there is a small spillway, overflow. Right now it is dry. in winter it seems to vacillate from damp to a 6 inch wide trickle with the occasional foot wide flow an inch or 2 deep. In the really big rains we had the last few months it was about two feet wide with 2-3 inches running across it. I am going to put two (2) 48inch diameter NP12 pipes in it and build up earth onto of them to create a bridge that takes me up that hill. My soil packed up very tightly, and I figured that with two 48 inch pipes water would take the path of least resistance and not mess with the soil next to the pipes. at the point of inlet I intend to dig down a foot to hit bedrock ( i know it's there because it is showing thru on the hill where they cut away the trees. ). I'm going to pour a footer reinforced with rebar and and rebar sticking out of it. so I can impale the first course of bags on top of that. Then stack the bags angled slightly toward the bridge to a height of about 6.5 feet and let that be my retaining wall for the bridge.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I hope this makes sense

 

[WoodChuckDad]

 

[Rustyiron]

WoodChuck, you got any feelings why your engineer wants 60' of pipe rather than just enough to drive across like a single 20' legnth? 120' of 4' pipe will be costly. Engineers tend to cover their butt with the clients money.

 

[bigtiller]

View attachment 476309

That looks like a good place for a ford crossing. Your local concrete plant can prepare the correct mix that will cure under water if necessary.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Ford crossing won't. work. It's way too steep. I need to make a bridge so I can drive up that hill.




The reason for the large diameter and long run of pipe is to achieve a deep enough drop from start to finish to make the water flow fast enough in the event of a large storm. I am the last semi flat piece of land before the mountain climbs another 2,000 feet. The terrain creates a funnel that drains 170 acres of land above me into the creek that feeds my pond. A significant storm event has the potential to really bring the water flowing thru there. I don't anticipate it happening any time soon but that is why it's so heavy built. And yes. The pipes are expensive.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Two things. Eddie is correct about needing trench blocks. You are going to need them. Also, you are going to create a serious scour hole at the exit of those pipes. Your engineer buddy may have mentioned this or he atleast should have. Two 48" pipes at an almost 17% slope are going to be like huge water cannons.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

Two things. Eddie is correct about needing trench blocks. You are going to need them. Also, you are going to create a serious scour hole at the exit of those pipes. Your engineer buddy may have mentioned this or he atleast should have. Two 48" pipes at an almost 17% slope are going to be like huge water cannons.

I talked to him about that. As it stands? The overflow creek has been there for 20 years and has already dug down about ten feet to bedrock. I will be keeping my eye on it to make sure that I don't create an erosion problem.and I will probably arrange some large rock there just in case.