mardi 5 décembre 2017

For Constructors Of Retaining Walls Huntsville AL Is The Way To Go

By Kathleen Jones


Retaining wall refers to concrete structures which are used to support the mass of soil from collapsing. The retaining wall is used for various purposes. Some of them include the prevention of soil erosion and construction. During the construction of building structures they help in creation of underground spaces like basements. Landscaping also involves the use of the retaining wall to shape the soil into the design required. When one wants to construct retaining walls Huntsville AL is worth giving priority.

There are important considerations one is required to follow when building a retaining wall. The most important consideration is proper installation and design which include the studying of forces and proper materials to use. One has to remember that the wall will be dealing with gravity which can cause it to move down slope hence one has to know how to deal with this.

Another requirement which should be done includes the study of the type of the soil. This is usually done for the processing of calculations that are used in the design of the wall. In the design of walls, there are numerous principles. First and foremost principle is to increase the base area. The wall should be designed in a way which it resists lateral pressure that would have been created by the soil.

Large base area provides firm support for the wall for it to hold steadily on the ground. Another principle is sloping angle created on the internal side. The angle should be small in order to create a counteract force to deal with the lateral force. Another important aspect is water proofing. The wall needs to be able to retain water as well so as to limit the pressure exerted on to the wall.

There are various forms of the retaining which are based method used in making them. These types include the gravity wall whereby the wall uses the mass to counteract the pressure from behind. Such walls are normally made with large masses of concrete or stones or composite material. They are commonly used in the construction of gabions which control soil erosion which can result in landslides.

Cantilevered wall is also among the classification. It is constructed with either normal stones or concrete. On the internal side of the wall, a steel stem is usually added. The stem provides an additional resistance. Large footing present on the cantilevered wall are utilized in the conversion of horizontal pressure to vertical pressure that is created by soil. Rigid footing is necessary for the wall to function properly.

There are various kinds of walls used in very soft soils like black cotton soils. They are referred to as sheet pilling. Soft soils are poor because of less bearing capacity. To attain stability of the wall, in most cases the wall is constructed by driving sheet piles deep into the ground until they reach the bed rock. The sheet piles are made of vinyl, and steel among others.

Another form of retaining wall is the anchored wall. It is very flexible technique because it can utilize additional strength by use of cables. It can be done using the types mentioned above. The cable is driven in to the wall by boring method, when they reach the other end they are expanded thus providing the support required.




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