How do you measure for a retaining wall?

Calculate the Wall’s Square Footage Multiply the length and adjusted height measurement to determine the square footage of the retaining wall. Multiply the square footage number by 144 to find the size of the wall in square inches.

What size retaining wall blocks do I need?

To estimate how many blocks you’ll need per row, divide the total length of the wall by the length of the block. To figure out how many rows you’ll need, divide the ideal wall height by the height of the block. Make sure to account for the first row being half-buried.

How deep should a 3 foot retaining wall be?

The general rule of thumb is to bury about one-eighth of the height of the wall. For example, if your wall will be three feet (36 inches) tall, the first course of blocks should start five inches below soil level. The gravel base should start three inches below this.

How do I estimate a stone retaining wall?

How to Calculate a Stone Retaining Wall

Determine the average length, width and height of the stone in feet.
Multiply the length, width and height of the wall to determine its cubic feet.
Divide the total cubic feet by 15 to determine the amount of stone needed in tons:

At what height do you need a retaining wall?

between 3 and 4 feet high
On average, most retaining walls are between 3 and 4 feet high. This is optimal because it doesn’t require any anchors, or expensive engineering methods, though in some cases the wall must be higher. Variables that affect the height of your retaining wall include: Extreme heights.

Do you need drainage for retaining wall?

Third, since most retaining walls are impervious, which means water cannot pass through the wall itself, efficient drainage is crucial. When drainage goes unaddressed hydrostatic pressure will build up behind the wall and cause damage such as bulging or cracking.

How much gravel do I need behind a retaining wall?

12 inches
In order to provide proper drainage, at least 12 inches of granular backfill (gravel or a similar aggregate) should be installed directly behind the wall. Compacted native soil can be used to backfill the rest of the space behind the wall.

How many boulders do I need for a retaining wall?

150 Cubic Feet x 150 lbs. per cubic foot = 24,000 lbs. There is 2000 lbs in one ton so you would need 12 tons of boulders to build that substantial wall.

What do you need to know about retaining walls?

A Design Guide for Earth Retaining Structures Contents at a glance: 1. About Retaining Walls; Terminology 2. Design Procedure Overview 3. Soil Mechanics Simplified 4. Building Codes and Retaining Walls 5. Forces on Retaining Walls 6. Earthquake (Seismic) Design 7. Soil Bearing and Stability 8. Designing the Cantilever Wall Stem 9.

How big of a trench do you need for retaining wall?

Begin digging into the ground with a shovel. The trench should be deep enough to bury at least half the height of your first course of blocks as they sit on a 2- to 3-inch base of gravel. Depending on the size of your blocks, this depth will be about 4 to 6 inches.

How do you build a retaining wall at Home Depot?

Brush off the last layer of stones and clean off any debris. Using construction adhesive, secure your capstones and create the top layer of your retaining wall. The block caps should overhang the retaining blocks by 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Replace the topsoil and sod in front of the retaining wall as needed.

How to calculate the thickness of a retaining wall?

For the thickness of the wall to be safe in shear, the ultimate shear, V u should less than the allowable shear, V allow as recommended by the ACI 318 code. V c = 0.17√fc’b w d = 162.52kN Since V u < V allow, hence SAFE in Shear! 5. Design the Wall Stem for Flexure 17.40×10 6 = 0.90 x 32 x 1000 x 169 2 ω (1-0.59 ω)