A retaining wall must have the strength to hold back the weight of the soil, plants and sometimes small structures behind it. The wall gets its strength from a sturdy base consisting of gravel – about 5 inches deep for short walls and about 7 inches for tall walls – which helps prevent sifting and allows water to drain beneath the wall.
How much Paver base do I need behind a wall?
Estimate the amount of paver base necessary. The paver base should be at least 2 inches deep when compacted. The calculation below factors in compaction. The recommended depth of paver base may vary by product. Estimate the amount of drainage aggregate that you need behind the wall.
How much rock do I need to build a retaining wall?
Visit your local hardware store and pick up some ½” to ¾” size landscape rocks. You’ll use these to create the base for your wall. Once you’ve got enough to fill your trench, evenly distribute them throughout until they make up a 2” to 3” layer.
How do you finish a retaining wall with pavers?
Once your pavers are in place, you’ll need to finish your wall with a row of block caps. Sweep off any debris from the top of the paver retaining wall and add the block caps, securing them with construction adhesive.
How do you calculate the number of paver blocks needed?
Estimate the total number of blocks needed by multiplying the number of blocks per course by the number of courses. Purchase 10% more blocks than your estimate. The excess should account for breakage, cutting blocks and replacements for future repairs. Estimate the amount of paver base necessary.
How much base do I need for a retaining wall?
They should be buried about 1 inch deep for every 8 inches of wall height. This provides strength and stability to your retaining wall.
How do you calculate paver base for a retaining wall?
Multiply the length and width measurements to determine the square footage of the wall. Multiply this number by the square yardage of the gravel depth to determine the amount of base gravel needed for the retaining wall.
Can I use paver base for retaining wall?
Fill the trench with about 3 inches of paver base, spread it with a rake and tamp it down. Tamping the base provides a strong foundation. When it's all level, you can begin installing the block. Wet the paver base if it's dry and dusty.
Do you need a concrete base for a retaining wall?
Large masonry retaining walls built out of rigid materials like concrete, cinder blocks, cement or brick need a concrete footing. Solid masonry walls are stiff and unable to flex because they'll crack. So they need a super strong and stable base to hold them together.
How thick should a paver base be for a retaining wall?
The trench should be deep enough to bury at least half the height of your first course of blocks as they sit on a 2- to 3-inch base of gravel. Depending on the size of your blocks, this depth will be about 4 to 6 inches. The trench should be twice as wide as a single block.
Does a 2 foot retaining wall need drainage?
If your retaining wall needs a drainage pipe, make sure the pipe has slots on all sides, not just one. A drainage pipe might be needed if: The retaining wall is at least four feet high or taller. Clay or other poor draining soils are behind the wall.
What do you put under retaining wall?
DefinitionsBase Material. The base material is the foundation of the retaining wall. ... Wall Rock. Wall Rock is only applicable to block walls. ... Drainage Stone. ... Retained Soil. ... Base Material. ... Wall Rock. ... Drainage Stone. ... Retained Soil.
Should I use sand under retaining wall?
Compact the material making sure that it is compacted enough for you to walk over the area where there is no shift at all. When the base material is compacted it is also recommended to spread a 1 layer of coarse sand. This will help the wall settle evenly.
How do you prepare the ground for a retaining wall block?
1:132:43How to Prepare for a Retaining Wall - Site Excavation - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFor this example we are building a four foot wall that will require six inches in trench depth toMoreFor this example we are building a four foot wall that will require six inches in trench depth to allow for base material. And an additional four inches to allow for the Buried block giving us a total
How big of a footing do I need for a retaining wall?
The footing dimensions will largely be determined by the size of the wall. A poured concrete footing for concrete, block or brick walls should be at least twice as wide as the planned wall. The footing should be at least as thick vertically as the wall's planned width.
How deep should a retaining wall footer be?
The general rule of thumb is to bury about one-eighth of the height of the wall. For example, if your wall will be three feet (36 inches) tall, the first course of blocks should start five inches below soil level. The gravel base should start three inches below this.
How deep should a wall footing be?
All footings should be a minimum of 150mm (6") in depth, with the bottom 350 - 400mm (14-16") below ground level on most soils. For clay soil however, thicker and deeper footings should be used.
How many cubic feet of paver base do I need?
You'll be using 4 inches of gravel, which is 1/3 of a yard, for a paver base. To figure out how many cubic feet of gravel you will need, multiply your square footage by 1/3. In this example, you'd need about 20 cubic feet of gravel, or 3/4 cubic yards.
How deep should a paver base be?
Accurately Measure Required Base Material The guidelines are 4 to 6 inches for pedestrian walkways and 8 to 12 inches for driveways. Local soil conditions also impact depth needs. Generally, clay bases need to be dug deeper to facilitate drainage.
What size footings do I need for a retaining wall?
A good rule of thumb regarding concrete strip-footings is that it should be dug to twice the width of your wall's thickness. i.e. if your wall will be 225mm (9") thick, you will want to ensure that the strip footing is at least 450mm (18") wide.
How do you figure square footage of a retaining wall?
2:368:45How to Estimate Materials for a Block Retaining Wall - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo let's figure out that first. So as far as total square footage of this goes if i'm using this perMoreSo let's figure out that first. So as far as total square footage of this goes if i'm using this per pallet. First thing i need to do is take into account the six inches below grade. So the overall
How deep should a retaining wall trench be?
It should be 24 inches wide in most cases—this is the standard width of retaining walls. The depth of the trench should be six inches , plus an additional inch for every foot of wall height. You can then compact the base trench by making a couple passes with a plate compactor.
How wide should a wall be?
Moving forward, you should start from the lowest point to dig a base trench for the entire length of the wall. It should be 24 inches wide in most cases—this is the standard width ...
Where should I put a drain pipe in a reinforced wall?
The drain pipe should be located at the lowest possible position near the back of the trench , and should have venting to daylight every 50 feet (15 meters).
Is a retaining wall strong?
Published by Writer Leave your thoughts. A retaining wall is only as strong as its foundation. Before you can start building up the blocks of your retaining wall, it’s crucial that you give plenty of attention to the base. Here’s an overview of what you need to know about preparing the base for your retaining wall so it will last you ...
How tall is a drain pipe?
A drain pipe is required for any reinforced wall or any wall over 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall. Place the drain pipe at the lowest possible point toward the back of the trench and vent to daylight every 50 ft. (15 m). More information on drainage and water management.
What is the best tool to use to lay out curved walls?
A garden hose is an excellent tool to use when laying out curved walls. Excavate the area by removing all surface vegetation and organic materials from the area. These cannot be used as backfill material. If reinforcement is needed excavate behind the wall to accommodate the design length of the geogrid.
How to use the retaining wall calculator?
The retaining wall calculator may seem complicated at first, but don't worry! Just follow this simple set of instructions, and you will get your calculations done in no time.
Retaining wall formulas
The beauty of our retaining wall calculator is the fact that it does all the work for you. We understand, however, that you might be in the mood to do the maths yourself, and hereby present you with all the necessary equations!
How to calculate how many pavers to use?
To determine how many paver stones you need: Multiply the length and width (in feet) of the area you’re paving. Multiply the length and width (in inches) of your bricks or paving stones. Divide the brick or paver’s surface area by 144 to convert to square feet.
How many square feet are there in a paver stone?
Traditional paver stones come in three typical sizes. Small stones are usually 0.2 square feet per stone, mediums are 1 square foot per stone and large ones are 1.71 square feet per stone. Some types, like Flagstone, come in uneven shapes. That means you have to make sure your design is well planned and that you have enough paver stones in case there are any mistakes.
How much soil pressure does a retaining wall need?
Soil is heavy, especially when soaking wet from a recent rainstorm, so a basic retaining wall (four feet tall and 15 feet long) potentially has to support up to 20 tons of soil pressure.
What materials are used to build retaining walls?
Retaining walls can be constructed using a variety of materials, from poured concrete and large timbers to natural stones, even bricks. For DIY purposes, opt for manufactured blocks that are designed specifically for building retaining walls; a locking flange along the bottom edge creates a secure attachment between rows.
What is the enemy of retaining walls?
Groundwater is the natural enemy of retaining walls. When it saturates clay-type soils, they swell and put excessive pressure on the backside of the wall. To avoid failure, make drainage provisions at the same time as you go about building the retaining wall.
What does a perforated drain pipe do?
The perforated pipe will carry groundwater to each end of the wall where it can drain harmlessly away. The ends of the drainpipe should then exit on each end of the wall, and you may cover them with crushed stone to camouflage their appearance. RELATED: The 10 Best Things You Can Do for Your Soil.
Step 01 – Calculating The Area of The Project
- The first step on this calculation consists on obtaining the totalarea of the project. That is, the total square feet of area that willbe paved. If you have been working on the project for a while, maybe you have already calculated it. But if you didn’t, calculating the area consists on getting the width and length of each section that will be paved, then multiplying them. For a square patio, thi…
Step 02 – Calculating The Volume of Sand
- Obtaining the area of the project is, fortunately, the hardest step. To calculate the volume of sand, you can do so with simple multiplication. If you intend to have a 1-inch thick layer of sand, which is the usual, you just need to multiply the area of the project by 0.00309. This will then give you the volume of sand you need in cubic yards.
Step 03 – Calculating The Volume of Gravel
- The volume of gravel you’ll need is slightly more complicated to calculate. While in general you’ll only need a 1-inch thick layer of sand for any project, the amount of gravel needed depends on how much weight you expect your pavers to handle on a daily basis. For example, if you intend to pave a patio, you only need a 4-inch thick layer of gravel...
Step 04 – Calculating The Amount of Bags of Paver Base
- The amount of bags you’ll need depends on the bags available atthe store of your preference. Different stores and different brandsmay offer bags of different volumes. Some may sell them by the cubic yard, others by the cubic feet. If you need the volume in cubic feet and you have it in cubic yards, just multiply it by 27. However, generally what you should do is round the volume yo…