Need to fix a retaining wall

[Wakey]

I dug out the deadmen with the post hole digger and a Collins axe




Deadmen.. Pressure treated 4X4 with 3/8 galvanized bolts.



Detail of deadman and post.

 

[Wakey]

Have you thought about putting a gutter across the back and running the drains out front? It looks like you have a shed roof that dumps all the water to the back side, might help some to get rid of standing water back there and along the sides.

Most of the water runs away from this corner but yes, definitely have gutters in the mix but not until we replace the siding. When we replaced the roof, the gutters were so bad we trashed them.

 

[Wakey]

I forgot one.. This is the french drain. It's wrapped in a sock and I dumped about 20 bags of drainage rock on top of it and wrapped it in the landscape cloth. It's situated 2 inches from the wall and staked on both sides to keep the rock from spilling from the top of the drain.

I topped this completely with a shovel and compacted it with a tamper before pulling the stakes. I did the same with the deadmen and tamped them to the point of exhaustion with the back end of the Collins axe.

Then pushed the rest of the dirt with the Kioti.

I'll spread some winter rye later today and trim the posts to complete.

If anyone has criticism lets hear it so the next guy that reads this can look at all options.

 

[dieselscout80]

How long did the original wall last?

How long do you think this wall will last?

I have to build a couple retaining walls and your method looks like it might cost less.

Looks like you did a great job.

 

[NS Gearhead]

I have no experience in retaining walls, but I would think your "deadmen" would have been more effective higher up. This would better help counteract the leverage the soil will have pushing on the wall.

 

[ultrarunner]

Helped a friend with the same problem...

Went with concrete block across the back and was able to change the grade on the sides...

He also was going to pour a new stem wall for the garage and then decided it would be too much to clear the garage and tarp everything...

Keep the pictures coming...

 

[Wakey]

How long did the original wall last?

How long do you think this wall will last?

I have to build a couple retaining walls and your method looks like it might cost less.

Looks like you did a great job.

The original wall was built in '96 or '97.

There was no real drain that I could see but the wall was back filled with bricks. Perhaps it had a tile drain at the bottom?

Not sure why the post(s) failed but it had no deadman.

The original wall had the posts on the earth side where I put the new ones on the outside. Coupled with better drainage and deadmen I hope this wall outlives me!

 

[Wakey]

I have no experience in retaining walls, but I would think your "deadmen" would have been more effective higher up. This would better help counteract the leverage the soil will have pushing on the wall.

I was thinking that there would not be enough weight on them if they were higher but perhaps they could have been buried just as deep but with the connecting arm at an upward angle, higher on the post?

I'm unsure but what little research I did showed them level and roughly at the depth I have them.

My hope is that someone that does this for a living can clear this up for the next guy that gives this a go.

 

[hr3]

Gearhead is right and your thought of angling down from the upper part to the back side of the deadman is correct too...