Railroad Ties for Retaining Wall

[ktctest6]

OK - all the info has been great! But, I'm really a beginner at this and I really need to understand some of the terms that ya'll are using - like dead-man and a tie-back. If someone could explain these anchoring terms I would really appreciate it. Sorry to be so slow - but I really want to understand how to do this the right way.

Thanks so much for your patience!

 

[tc35dforme]

Dead-man and tie-back are effectively the same. Think of the face of the wall running North-South. The dead-man is a timber that runs from the face of this wall in the East-west direction ( like the leg on a 'T') back into the hill.

 

[GV40U]

Great information on this thread. How are the tie backs attached to the wall? What materials are used for tie back/deadman? Thanks,

 

[28RedHorses]

Jim,

For my bottom row I would secure it to the ground (after leveling) with 3/4 OD iron pipe. I use sections that are pre-cut to 30 inch lengths and then drill a 3/4 inch hole with a spade bit on the wood every three feet. I use a sledge hammer to pound the pipe into the wood/ground. The fit is tight and works great.

The next couple of rows (I would not go above three rows without using deadmen) I secure with 12 inch spikes.

I do offset the rows by one inch per row.

I've never used railroad ties but have used Pressure Treated Pine and then I give it a coat of Sykins stain. I've had my walls up for two years and they look as new as the day they were installed.

Hope this helps.

28 <font color="red"> </font>
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[jinman]

Jim, about two years ago, I built a small retainer wall about twice the length of yours. I thought about using railroad ties because I have a source of ties in very good condition. One of my neighbors suggested I check with a local sawmill because they buy old telephone poles and cut them into 6" x 6" beams. I wasn't looking forward to stacking and handling crossties with their inconsistent surface conditions, splinters, and other irregularities, so I went to the sawmill and bought 280 feet of the 6x6 beams. It was $1.95 per foot, so I put close to $600 into lumber, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Here's why...

1. The timbers were 11' to 15' feet long and the varied lengths came in handy during construction.

2. The long lengths reduced the number of posts I had to sink into the ground (5 posts sunk 3-1/2 feet deep for over 65' of wall)

3. The 6x6's stacked perfectly with very predictable dimensions.

4. The timbers were easy to cut to length and drill for fasteners without any worry of finding hidden rocks and metal.

5. I think the finished product looks far better than any crosstie wall I've seen.

I'm in Sunset, TX which is about 60 miles north of Fort Worth, but maybe you might find a sawmill in your San Antonio and Austin area which does the same thing. Your cost would be only about 1/2 mine and I think you would like the results. I'm attaching a couple of photos to show you my wall during construction and the finished wall. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[jinman]

...finished wall.

 

[ktctest6]

You guys are GREAT!! Thanks so much for your detailed descriptions and tips on how to build this wall. I know it's going to be hard work - but with your help - it will be well worth the effort.

Thanks again!