When a retaining walls fail? Only in movies will you see a retaining wall collapse for no reason, in real life they always show signs of failure in their structure if they have a problem.
If its primary function is to withstand thousands of pounds of pressure, it is possible for a retaining wall fail under that same pressure. Retaining walls have the main function of being a support for the earth that moves downwards, or to level land or make separations in patios or entrances.
To avoid failures in the retaining wall, when building them, you have to work with correct design calculations and proper installation, but, we know that you are here to understand what are the signs of a failing retaining wall and its main causes.
Very few times in history has a retaining wall collapsed on its own and suddenly, because, the first signs that require attention to a failure in the retaining wall always appear.
The reasons why a retaining wall fails are:
Cracking: Cracking, bowing, bulging, bowing, or buckling. If any fractures are visible in the wall, this will create conflict to retain the soil. This does not have to represent the end of the world, this retaining wall failure can be rehabilitated with reinforcements such as anchor bolts to rectify and prevent a total collapse.
No drainage: Absolutely all retaining walls need to have drainage holes that will get the job done on rainy days, no matter how small. If the water does not flow and is expelled after receiving rain, a failure of the retaining wall is imminent.
On some occasions it may be that the drains are congested by weeds that grow due to the lack of filters.
Subsidence: Sudden subsidence of the ground is a clear sign that the pressure on the wall is changing. If that pressure varies, the calculations on which the construction of the wall was based may become obsolete.
Main failures of a retaining wall
Saturation: Logically, saturation will collapse any material. In the case of retaining walls, they fail when they become saturated with fill. This fill is most of the time, represented by water, earth or solid waste depending on where the wall is located. In the case of water, if it leaks and begins to cause the retaining wall to fail, the ground must be leveled or the water diverted into drainage channels. To carry out this work, the most appropriate fillings are gravel and crushed gravel.
Unexpected load: Within the mathematical calculations made in the structuring of the wall, thinking of preventing the retaining wall from failing, the loads that the wall will support must be taken into account.
Whether you plan to install a garden on it or if it is a very high wall and you want to install a roof, all this must be notified to the designer.
Other reasons why a retaining wall fail are:
Design calculation: Taking into account the calculations and the design, this turns out to be one of the few causes of retaining wall failure, but it does not mean that it is impossible. Having an expert in structural designs is key to building a retaining wall. An expert designer will recognize if a wall is built with a tendency to fail.
Poor quality materials: The cheap is expensive, it is a universal law. If you want to take inexpensive materials or unrecognized brands, there is a risk that the materials will not perform their function perfectly.
Antiquity: In the case of wooden retaining walls, they need maintenance after 20 years, because they will begin to fail. On the other hand, those made of masonry and concrete can last more than 50 years intact. If 50 years after its construction, it still does not show signs of failure, it can last about 50 more years.
The walls made by Go Green have high quality materials, specific measures and taken into consideration when building, carried out by expert builders in the area for many years.
Request your budget immediately and install a retaining wall that will last more than 50 years.
