Retaining walls are a priority in some areas, with large amounts of weights being organised, there needs to be no chance of your retaining wall collapsing. It needs to be made correctly, and with superior materials.
In this blog, we will show you how to build a strong retaining wall.
At PPC Concrete Products, we are here to provide solutions for your construction needs, from the person working their own part-time project, to commercial clients, and everyone in-between.
Monthly construction output had risen an estimated by an 1.6% value in June 2023, and we would like to think our accessible concrete products had a small part to play by giving our clients easy access to reliable and easy-to-use construction solutions.
Are retaining walls expensive to make?
When considering the whole process, yes, retaining walls can be expensive to make, this price only increases depending on the size of the retaining wall you want to make. Here are just some of the processes that would tally up the price of a retaining wall.
- Getting consultation before making the retaining wall.
- Choosing a material for the retaining wall.
- Delivery of chosen material
- Hiring additional workers to help with the preparation and installation processes.
- Paying to rent equipment.
- Depending on the material of your retaining wall, purchasing binding products.
- The size of your retaining wall.
- Installation of features such as stairs in your retaining wall.
If these points are taken into account, you can expect a well-developed and long-lasting retaining wall. Neglecting all these points will result in a bad retaining wall. But for the untrained eye, what are the signs of a bad retaining wall vs a good one?
How to spot a good retaining wall vs a bad retaining wall
A good retaining wall…
- Has no puddles forming behind the wall when it rains.
- Features drainage.
- Is vertically straight.
- Has no gaps in the wall.
- It is secure and cannot be moved.
A bad retaining wall…
- Has puddles forming behind the wall due to improper or no drainage.
- It is bulging, or not vertically straight, due to a lack of reinforcement and proper drainage.
- Has gaps in the wall.
- Has leaks coming from the wall.
- Individual parts of the wall can be moved.
How to build a strong retaining wall
Here are some simple guidelines you can follow in order to ensure your retaining wall is strong, and going to last for a long time…
Drainage must be perfect
If the drainage on your retaining wall is non-existent, or poorly crafted, your retaining wall can experience leaks, puddles, or occasionally bulges, which can only get worse as rain continues.
Leaks happen when if water finds and forces it way through the easiest exist it can find, which is usually in the least secure area of the wall.
Puddles occur when the lack of drainage on a retaining wall means the water has nowhere to go.
Bulges happen when the weight of the soil being held by the retaining wall increases due to rain that can’t leave due to poor or no drainage. As a result, the mass of weight pushes against areas that are weaker than the rest, resulting in bulges.
If you’ve never done it before, don’t start now
Unless the retaining wall you plan to make is minuscule, and doesn’t require extensive digging and lifting equipment, then don’t try to make the retaining wall yourself.
The work that goes into a retaining wall can be expensive, so making mistakes will result in you spending more to rectify them. Always opt for an expert with experience in creating retaining walls for complicated structures like these.
Don’t compromise on quality
Use a weatherproof, durable, structurally secure material for your wall such as Interlocking Concrete Blocks. By doing this, you’re ensuring your wall has little to no chance of collapsing or moving dramatically, giving you peace of mind.
What is a strong material for a retaining wall?
Our Interlocking Concrete Blocks are definitely a strong material that can be used to create a retaining wall. The natural strength of concrete comes as a result of its curing process. Curing eventually allows concrete blocks to handle high velocity impacts, and makes it next to impossible to break or crack simply by putting weight behind it, which is what it will experience as a retaining wall.
In addition, our Interlocking Concrete Blocks can be interlocked with each other without the need of binding agents. Once our blocks are interlocked, they receive an increase in structural integrity, as the already heavy blocks gain a wider centre of gravity that is more evenly distributed. This makes it difficult to affect via the weight of a retaining wall’s contents.
Furthermore, the nature of concrete itself allows it to be a long-lasting and weatherproof option that ticks all the boxes for someone who needs to develop the strongest possible retaining wall.
The points we just highlighted quite clearly show you how our Interlocking Concrete Blocks are a serious option to consider for your retaining wall. But just so you know, they can be used for so much more.
Additional uses of Interlocking concrete blocks
Here is a list of some of the uses that Interlocking Concrete Blocks can facilitate.
- Material Storage bays
- Blast walls
- Salt stores
- Crash protection
- Push walls
- Security barriers
- Segregation bays, i.e. recycling centres
- Retaining walls
- Industrial buildings
- Fire breaks
- Counterweights
- Roadblocks
What are the advantages of interlocking concrete blocks?
- Longer lasting and more durable than a Gabion basket
- Quicker and less hassle to install
- No need for mortar, saving you money and time
- No need for steel reinforcement or shuttering
- Resistant to extreme weather conditions
- Fire-resistant properties, mitigating the spread of fire depending on the structure
- Little maintenance required
- Often, no foundation is needed before installing
- Sound resistant
- Sustainable
- Ability to stack them upon each other
- Flexibility in sizes
- Appropriate for temporary and/or permanent buildings
- Unlikely to be displaced due to the interlocking function
How much do concrete block retaining walls cost?
We can’t speak to the prices of other concrete block providers. However, to provide an accurate quote for a retaining wall that uses our Interlocking Concrete Blocks, we ask you to consider and aim to provide the following information…
- The desired length and height of the wall.
- The location and surrounding area of the wall.
- A rough estimate of how many blocks you require, if you have made the calculations.
- The size of the concrete blocks you’d like.
You can convey this information over the phone or via email with us. This allows us to prepare an accurate quote based on the information provided. Of course, if we have further questions, we will ask.
It is important to be thorough during this process, undisclosed information can result in extra work being carried out, which means possible delays of your concrete block delivery.
Where to buy the best retaining wall material
As an established supplier all over the UK, PPC Concrete Products is always happy to help, which is why we encourage you to get in touch with any questions you may have or have a look at our FAQ.
In this blog, we hope to have clearly displayed how to build a strong retaining wall, whilst also providing additional information including construction solutions that we offer.
Take a read of our case studies to truly understand how we have provided solutions for business in the past with the use of our interlocking concrete blocks, and ultimately, how we can help you today.
Read our blog page for more insights into our passion, construction.
Address:
The Old Gasworks,
Higginshaw Lane,
Royton,
Oldham,
OL2 6HQ
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday – 8 AM until 4 PM
Tel: 01706 655245
Email: info@ppcconcreteproducts.co.uk
