Common Cause for Retaining Walls to Fail
In general, the phrase retaining wall failure does not always mean the total failure or collapse of a wall, instead, it describes signs by which failure and wall instability can be predicted and saved when dealt with promptly and properly. However, the likes of sliding, toppling, overturning are all forms of total collapses, which unfortunately cannot be rehabilitated.
Failure due to Improper Reinforcement Placement
The likes of reinforcement size, spacing, and depth should all be checked when the wall stem shows signs of cracking and deflections. Reinforcement size and depth can be determined using devices such as a magnetic field measuring pachometer. This will be used to determine the reinforcement position and depth up to around 4 inches.
Failure due to Saturated Backfill
When the backfill used is granular and well-drained in the design stage of a retaining wall, pressure against the wall will be increased substantially when surface water is allowed to infiltrate into the backfill. However, this can be prevented simply by grading the backfill surface so any water is direct away, or diverted to disperse through drainage channels that are close to the retaining wall. Also, poor backfill like those that contain clay swells and lead will increase the pressure considerably.
Failure due to Weep Holes that Fail to Weep
Due to a lack of filters, the line of gravel or crushed stone that has been positioned along the base of the wall will encourage weed growth, which in turn will turn into clogs and create issues when it comes to drainage. For example, in a masonry retaining wall, the weep hole will need to be made by removing mortar on the side joints and the distance between the weep holes needs to be approximately 31 inches. Weep holes in a reinforced concrete retaining wall need to be at least 3 inches in diameter, and the spacing should not be more than 3 feet.
If you would like to make an appointment with All Angles Masonry, please do not hesitate to call this number (505) 209-3665 now, if you live in the Albuquerque, NM area.