Wednesday, 6 December 2017

When In Need Of Constructing Retaining Walls Huntsville AL Should Be Prioritized

By Kathleen Jones


Retaining wall refers to concrete structures which are used to support the mass of soil from collapsing. The retaining wall is used for various purposes. Some of them include the prevention of soil erosion and construction. During the construction of building structures they help in creation of underground spaces like basements. Landscaping also involves the use of the retaining wall to shape the soil into the design required. When one wants to construct retaining walls Huntsville AL is worth giving priority.

There are several factors which are to be considered in the construction of a retaining wall. It is very important to look at the design and installation retaining wall. During the installation it is vital to look at the forces present and materials used. Gravitational pull is the main force in such a case so those involved should be able to know how to deal with it.

Another requirement which should be done includes the study of the type of the soil. This is usually done for the processing of calculations that are used in the design of the wall. In the design of walls, there are numerous principles. First and foremost principle is to increase the base area. The wall should be designed in a way which it resists lateral pressure that would have been created by the soil.

Having a retaining wall with a large base enables it to be firm on the ground. The other element to be considered is the slopping angle on the other side of the wall. The angle is supposed to be small so as to create a neutralizing force which is to work on the lateral force. The other element of these walls is that it should be water proof. The wall should be capable of containing the water in order to reduce the pressure exerted on the wall.

There are several types of retaining walls categorized depending on the construction technique. These include the gravity wall which utilizes their mass to resist pressure from behind. They are usually made from large masses of concrete or stone though they can also be built by composite materials. They are suitable for the building of gabions that prevent soil erosion that might cause landslides.

Cantilevered wall is also among the classification. It is constructed with either normal stones or concrete. On the internal side of the wall, a steel stem is usually added. The stem provides an additional resistance. Large footing present on the cantilevered wall are utilized in the conversion of horizontal pressure to vertical pressure that is created by soil. Rigid footing is necessary for the wall to function properly.

There are various kinds of walls used in very soft soils like black cotton soils. They are referred to as sheet pilling. Soft soils are poor because of less bearing capacity. To attain stability of the wall, in most cases the wall is constructed by driving sheet piles deep into the ground until they reach the bed rock. The sheet piles are made of vinyl, and steel among others.

There is also the anchored retaining wall. This is a very different type of wall as it uses cables. It can be incorporated with the above mentioned methods of retaining wall. The cables used here are bored into the wall and they are attached to another point. All this is done in order to offer additional support.




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