Retaining Wall Failure

[Hay Dude]

We have a whole town of toppling walls. Mostly built in the 1700’s
The thing that gets them here isnt lack of pipe, aggregates or geotextile fabric or whatever.
Around here what topples walls are trees left to grow and their massive roots take down the walls.
Ones built 300 years ago here are still standing, IF the trees are kept away.

 

[Rustyiron]

^^ That's a dilemma. Probably both the trees and the walls are valuable historic items from the past and both worth preserving.

 

[Hay Dude]

Our community was planted with Kentucky Coffee trees 300 years ago. They are slowly dying off, being hit by lightning or have grown so close to our old roads they have to be taken down.

 

[fishdrivel]

You need a geotechnical engineer to review wall. I have seen certified installers, but designers are professional engineers

If you have an Engineer that particularly versed in retaining walls.
I have more retaining wall design experience than most engineers.
If I have a situation worthy of hiring a design engineer, I would like to know that he has experience in walls of that stature.

Part of my job working for the US Government was to review drawings before they go to bid.
Often they failed constructability review. I once reviewed a retaining wall drawing in Okinawa and my review concluded with report to my Colonel that it was not a matter of if it would fail but a matter of when.

Most retaing wall products are pre-engineered for standard production. The problem happens ofter that standard engineering is being used on a non-standard installation.
Examples: building a wall with a steep slope above it, walls that will have vehicles or other loads, barns and other structures, bad soil conditions, water, trees, etc. There are an almost unlimited number of problems you can encounter. I have reviewed projects that cannot and have not been constructed.

 

[ultrarunner]

I was told by an engineer that designs fixes is the good thing is most of the time the blocks can be used again... or even sold.

The person said it all starts from the ground up with a soil report...

 

[fishdrivel]

I was told by an engineer that designs fixes is the good thing is most of the time the blocks can be used again... or even sold.

The person said it all starts from the ground up with a soil report...

Many contracts call for "all new materials"

 

[Streetcar]

I was told by an engineer that designs fixes is the good thing is most of the time the blocks can be used again... or even sold.

The person said it all starts from the ground up with a soil report...

I have had retaining wall stolen for reuse of the blocks. Solution was to glue blocks together for top two rows

 

[ultrarunner]

Seen that happen locally and another lost an entire brand new sod lawn.

A friend scored an entire wall free for the taking... he heard about it from a contactor doubling the size of a home and the wall no longer needed...

Once the first course is properly placed it goes together pretty fast and for low walls not permit required...

 

[Streetcar]

If you have an Engineer that particularly versed in retaining walls.
I have more retaining wall design experience than most engineers.
If I have a situation worthy of hiring a design engineer, I would like to know that he has experience in walls of that stature.

Part of my job working for the US Government was to review drawings before they go to bid.
Often they failed constructability review. I once reviewed a retaining wall drawing in Okinawa and my review concluded with report to my Colonel that it was not a matter of if it would fail but a matter of when.

Most retaing wall products are pre-engineered for standard production. The problem happens ofter that standard engineering is being used on a non-standard installation.
Examples: building a wall with a steep slope above it, walls that will have vehicles or other loads, barns and other structures, bad soil conditions, water, trees, etc. There are an almost unlimited number of problems you can encounter. I have reviewed projects that cannot and have not been constructed.

Every block retaining wall ,I have worked with ,is designed to be four feet or less in height without modifications. The wall requires minimum bearing strength of original ground.
surcharge, bearing ,rotation and overturning are typically included in any retaining wall design.
fishdrivel, can I ask how you received your design experience?

 

[fishdrivel]

Every block retaining wall ,I have worked with ,is designed to be four feet or less in height without modifications. The wall requires minimum bearing strength of original ground.
surcharge, bearing ,rotation and overturning are typically included in any retaining wall design.
fishdrivel, can I ask how you received your design experience?

NCMI training, on the job, private study, working with many engineers.