Retaining walls are useful to those that need to control or manage slopes at their property or residence as they add more useable space to land and help to prevent erosion and water damage, and if you need a retaining wall built or want to see what retaining wall alternatives there are, this is the guide for you.
Retaining wall alternatives give home and property owners a range of options to select from, including:
- Gabion
- Grading
- Soil Nailing
- Soil Strengthen
- Mechanical Stabilization (MSE)
Each of these are good retaining wall alternatives and are ones we cover below so you can pick the one that best fits your budget and project goals, and so you can see the pros and cons of each retaining wall alternative to ensure your goals and yard needs are met, here are the best alternatives available to you.
Soil Nailing – Soil Nail Retaining Wall
Soil nailing is the practice of using grouted, tension-resistant nails that reinforce soil to result in a gravity retaining wall that gives either temporary or permanent excavation support, they are great for:
- Supporting excavations.
- Stabilizing slopes and landslides.
- Repairing a damaged retaining wall.
Soil nail retaining walls are often built top to bottom with soil excavated in three-to-six-foot stages.
After each stage of excavation, three-to-six-foot holes are drilled with tension-resisting steel bars inserted in them and grouted in place for added support and stability, a drainage system is then installed and secured using pre-casted face panels or reinforced shotcrete, which is sprayed mortar or concrete.
Once in place, bearing plates are fixed to the heads of soil nails with the steps repeated until the desired wall depth is met, at which point, the soil nails create an area of soil that is well fortified and reinforced.
Benefits of soil nail retaining walls are plentiful for all home and property owners to enjoy:
- Faster and cheaper wall for yards and job sites that require excavation support.
- Equipment used to make them is small enough for areas with restrictive access.
- Can be installed using a crane, making it good for those with steep slopes or a pre-existing wall.
- Enables excavation to start while the shoring system is installed, which saves time and prevents damage and collapse.
Soil Strengthen (Soil Stabilization)
Soil strengthening (or soil stabilization) is the technique of using lime-based products or chemicals, like Portland cement, to create pozzolanic reactions that form permanent bonds among particles in the soil, the physical properties in the soil are transformed and will possess more strength and bearing capacity.
If you want to get a retaining wall built but have soil that is weak and unable to support a heavy load, worry not and contact us as our network of builders and contractors can help you explore the retaining wall alternatives that are best for your yard and can offer soil stabilization services if you need it done.
Gabion
Gabion comes from the Italian word ‘gabbione’ which translates to ‘big cage’, and that is precisely what gabion walls are as they are wire-mesh cages that are filled with gravel, riprap, loose stones, and other masonry materials, they’re not only strong and weather-resilient but rather inexpensive to build as well.
When it comes to cheap retaining walls, gabion walls are among the best options as the wire mesh and rock or concrete used to build them are amongst the lowest of all retaining wall alternatives, plus, they can be built quickly, which makes it one of the best retaining wall alternatives for those that are facing severe soil conditions and time-sensitive projects.
If you wish to explore your options or want to get a gabion wall built, reach us today and one of our certified and licensed contractors will be in touch.
Mechanical Stabilization (MSE)
Mechanical stabilization, or mechanically stabilized earth (MSE), are walls with facing pieces that make use of soil mass and reinforcement to form a solid composite structure. They were first built in the 1960s and are still used to this day as a solution for berms, seawalls, bridge abutments, and retaining walls too.
MSE walls contain granular soil that is reinforced and compacted by horizontal layers of geosynthetic materials and strips of strong steel as they add more strength and rigidity to the wall, facing elements (made from shotcrete, wire panels, or pre-cast concrete) are then added to the face of the wall to help negate damage and impacts from its structure.
MSE walls are gravity-based structures, as they rely on their mass to bear the weight and forces applied to them, which may be seismic loads, water pressures, or pressures from the lateral force of the planet.
Mechanical stabilization walls are a good retaining wall alternative that can give decades of support and protection for your yard, home, or property, our network of retaining wall contractors have constructed walls of all types so if you wish to get an MSE wall built, contact us and we will help you make it happen.
Grading
Grading is a good alternative to a retaining wall as it not only adds more usable space to your yard but also plays a vital role in your ability to drain water from the property, they are best for yards with slopes that are not too steep and offer the drainage and protection you need without the cost of a full-fledged wall.
In a picture-perfect world, your yard would have a two- to five-percent downward grade from your home so rainfall that makes its way to your roof and then the ground can move away from the home can occur, but if this is not your case, grading is no doubt one of the best retaining wall alternatives you can choose as they:
- Improve drainage.
- Improve irrigation.
- Reduce the loss of topsoil.
- Increase available landscaping space.
- Protect the foundation of your home.
As the shift in seasons takes place, millions of homeowners are making the changes they need to ensure their yard and home is safe from high winds and rainfall, and whether you need landscape maintenance services or soft or hardscape design and installation, our experts are on standby to meet your demands.
From full-fledged retaining walls to retaining wall alternatives, our vast network of contractors is able to tackle jobs and projects of all sizes and complexities and can offer your home and yard the protection it needs, Reach out to us today to learn your options and to get a contractor on site for an estimate or appraisal.
