The basic things you need to know before building a retaining wall.

It is already a known and accepted fact that used railway sleepers have a lot of uses. Because of this, we have earlier come up with a post about the Railway Sleeper Projects, in which we have discussed some of the ways to re-use railway sleepers. Part of the post included using railway sleepers as a material for making a retaining wall. But what exactly is a retaining wall? And why is it a good idea to use railway sleepers in building one?

A retaining wall is basically a structure that prevents soil from eroding or falling from unnatural slopes. The structure is used restrain soil from moving towards an undesired direction especially when building a structure on slopes or land development. Retaining walls are important structures because they make land development easier to maximize and process.

Building a retaining wall is not an easy task. It requires extensive efforts on surveying, studies, material sorting and acquisition, designing, construction, and maintenance. Retaining walls unlike any other structures are simple in concept but what make it complicated are the other factors that come along it like the force of gravity and material strength. Here are some points you need to remember in making a retaining wall;

• Survey the area where you will put the wall. Check on the location of the area where you will put the wall. Is this an applicable site to build the structure? Are you going to be in any disturbance to the ecology of the area? Also, put into consideration the climate and the weather pattern of your chosen location. This will make you understand the soil better.
• Study the soil that your wall is going to restrain. Different types of soil require different kinds of wall structures and/or materials. Understanding what you are up against will make you more prepared and adept to the future task at hand.
• Properly choose the right materials for the wall. There are a lot of materials available today for building walls. All of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. Always be careful in deciding on what materials you are to use for your restraining wall. It must possess enough strength to restrain the soil from falling through all weathers and must also be sturdy enough. It also should be cost effective and efficient. An oak railway sleepers, with its experience on being a part of a rail track can be a good starting choice for your railway sleeper.
• Know the right time to build your wall. Building a structure that will restrain soil and will be against gravity requires extensive effort and preparation. To lessen the burden, eliminate other factors like soil erosion through rain and wind by choosing the right time to build your wall. Make a schedule and follow it efficiently.
• Build your wall fast but build it strong. Building a structure like a restraining wall can take time. But making use of the time efficiently and maximizing everything can make the process move faster without compromising the strength of the structure.
• Follow up with maintenance. Every so often, structures will have flaws. Not because you did something wrong in building it but because of natural occurrences. It’s always good to go back to your wall for regular maintenance to see the integrity of the structure.

Always keep in mind that restraining wall are structures that must always be of good quality. Choosing quality materials for the right situation and location is always the key to building a strong structure with high integrity.