With the right design, type and material selection, a retaining wall can do more than just support a slope. Retaining walls are commonly used in landscaping, especially for regions with plenty of uneven grounds that makes planting anything impossible. A retaining wall can be used for the subdivision of land and support other contributing stress factors such as wind loads, or to simply create garden enclosures.
The costs of building a retaining wall depends on two factors – the design and the condition of your property. For example, the prices of retaining garden enclosures built with retaining walls would probably depend on how complicated the design of your proposed retaining wall is, and how steep the slope is on your property. The conditions of your property affects how difficult construction will be, therefore the costs will rise.
When planning to build a retaining wall, remember to comply with the limit set by your local city’s building codes. If the proposed retaining wall exceeds 500mm in height, a building license is required. The retaining wall must also be designed by a professional engineer and has to be approved. There are many design guides out there that can be found over the Internet to help you out with determining the height of the retaining wall and so on.
You may also want to identify what type of soil your property has. The soil affects how much pressure is exerted on your retaining wall. Clay soil retains moisture and may need additional reinforcement, while sandy soil is good for drainage and is great for the construction of retaining walls. On the other hand, organic soils are not very suitable to be used for retaining walls and at the very least only used to finish off the top 200mm of the retaining wall.




