# Forum Home Renovation Retaining Walls  Retaining wall question

## heathgt350

Hey everyone, I have a question about the retaining wall at the bottom of the page linked below:   http://www.thedevonlandscaper.co.uk/decking.html 
How would you go about building that?  
Would you use a concrete footing with the steel bars sunk into it, then drill holes in the sleepers and slide them down over the steel?

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## cherub65

Really depends on the wall height and loading, (whats above it and what angle).
post a few more details

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## Bleedin Thumb

> Really depends on the wall height and loading, (whats above it and what angle).
> post a few more details

  Usually if your building out of sleepers you dont use a footing. you drill a 13mm hole through your bottom course and drive 12mm reo bar through it and spike it into the ground. The length of the spike is determined by how far you can drive it down - soft soils you will get about 1000mm hard soils you may only get 400mm you grind the first one off when it stops and cut the rest the same length. 
The first course of sleepers is usually underground or at least 1/2 buried.

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## cherub65

I personally wouldn't use bars at all, more of deadman style with ties into bank.
That's why trying to clarify the height and use of wall to determine best response.

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## heathgt350

Thanks for the replies!  
More details:  
The wall would be around 50 cm high.  
My front yard slopes down to the footpath, and I'd like to put a retaining wall and garden at the front and level off the land behind it.

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## rrobor

Take care when doing that, my mate was doing that at his house and hit the gas pipe $450 later he knows the mains gas pipe is too high.

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## heathgt350

Thanks for the tip rrobor, I have both a gas meter and water tap in my front yard. I'll have to find out what's down below before I start hammering metal rods into the ground  :Wink:

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## Bleedin Thumb

Do you have the Dial Before You Dig service in Victoria?

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## jamc0984

I would go with bleedin thumbs technique for a wall that high (reo bar). I wouldnt worry about a concrete footing just use road base. This may all be wrong depending on what the load on the wall is however and what the gradient of the ground behind the wall will be.  You will defiantly need a good drainage system behind the wall. 
The next hurdle will be finding H5+ treated pine at 2.4 or 3m 100mm thick (like pictured) for less then about $50 each. Do you sums, that probably going to end up more then $200 a face metre. Not the cheapest retaining wall option going around. 
I do like the style though.

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## rrobor

Thinik dial b4 you dig has been done. They have what should have been done but the if you think its within a metre of what should be you will be lucky.

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## heathgt350

Well I found the sleepers for $26 per 200 x 100 x 3m. 
At the highest point it's going to be 500 mm, so that's 5 sleepers high with one in the ground.  
With the front spanning 11m, it's going to be expensive!  
I might have to re-think the design  :Tongue:

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## Bleedin Thumb

> Thinik dial b4 you dig has been done. They have what should have been done but the if you think its within a metre of what should be you will be lucky.

    :Confused:  :Screwy:  :Biggrin:  
If you are worried about using reo bar use Uni or Biaxle Geogrid as a reinforcement,. 
Google is your friend.  
Also if sleepers on the flat is too expensive use them on edge with uprights every 1.2m. Your upright will only need to go into the ground 400mm at the highest point.

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## murray44

It is a nice style wall in that link but if you sit your sleepers on edge you'll use half as many, roughly. You will need posts to hold the sleepers in (more traditional style I guess) but doesn't look as good.

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## heathgt350

Thanks guys.  
Would I use 10x10 cm posts for the uprights? 
Thanks,  
Heath.

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## Bleedin Thumb

No use a sleeper so the 200mm face is against the wall.

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