How Retaining Walls Work To Hold Back The Earth

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If you have no idea what retaining walls are then you must be unfamiliar with the term. They are piles of stone or cement that hold back tons of earth when a highway or a building is located beneath it. There are numerous kinds of embankments, and they all have a certain job that they must do.

The most stunning is the cantilever wall due to its height. What makes these walls work is actually what you cannot see. For one thing, the footing that is attached is not visible for viewing. It is covered with earth and the sheer weight of the earth against this footing is what keeps the entire thing from falling down.

Construction sights, like highways that are being built, will often use a sheet piling wall. It takes a tremendous amount of force for a crane with an attached hammering device to pound two thirds of steel sheets into the earth’s surface. When complete one third of the material used can be seen. This material is usually covered in concrete for added strength and beauty. In a highway overpass the earth itself acts as the holding force for tons of weight.

Smaller walls are gravity walls. Due to the way they are constructed they are always shorter in height. Made of stone or block, the bottom is always thicker than the top. It is the sheer weight of the product used that ensures it can hold the pressure placed against it. Building them with a backward slant gives them an immense advantage in keeping the weight securely immobilized.

Children’s building pieces are typically plastic material where one piece is made to interlock with another. The block wall works somewhat on the same premise. Each individual piece is formed in a way that it interlocks with the one beside it, under it, and over it. When completely together it forms a wall that gives the appearance and strength of one large piece.

Abutments are nothing new. It has been proven that the ancient Romans used this same type of wall in much of their construction. Materials have changed from what this old civilization made by hand, to steel, concrete, special woods, and many more. With every wall being dependent on the material it is constructed of, a structural engineer should be consulted to see which is the best style and material that should be used on any project.

The most attractive would be the step wall. As the name implies it is built in steps only much higher than your average step. Some people will add them to their yards for their aesthetic beauty alone. Each step top is a place where any number of things can be planted. From vegetables to flowers, they are attractive and stop erosion of the soil.

All retaining walls can add beauty to its surroundings. The material used is chosen by the wall needed, but from there landscaping can be done to enhance the look of the finished wall. Now that you have some idea what goes into the retaining walls that you see, you have much more to appreciate in regard to their use.

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Article Citation
MLA Style Citation:
Noton, Adriana "How Retaining Walls Work To Hold Back The Earth." How Retaining Walls Work To Hold Back The Earth. 6 Feb. 2012. uberarticles.com. 25 May 2012 <http://uberarticles.com/gardening/how-retaining-walls-work-to-hold-back-the-earth/>.

APA Style Citation:
Noton, A (2012, February 6). How Retaining Walls Work To Hold Back The Earth. Retrieved May 25, 2012, from http://uberarticles.com/gardening/how-retaining-walls-work-to-hold-back-the-earth/

Chicago Style Citation:
Noton, Adriana "How Retaining Walls Work To Hold Back The Earth" uberarticles.com. http://uberarticles.com/gardening/how-retaining-walls-work-to-hold-back-the-earth/

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