Retaining Walls
Front Fence Failure
Generally you don’t have to go far to find a front brick fence falling over like this one. Normally they fall over in the direction of the street. So why is this failure so common? Reasons For Failure People think…
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Fall Regulations
When you take the keys for your new home the house should comply with all regulations relating to falls. . . . . but after you move are you planning to do some improvements. If you are planning a deck…
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Alternatives to Retaining Walls
When it comes to a change of gradient in your land most people just thing ‘Retaining wall’. Perhaps you should think about some alternatives using a slope. What you need to consider is how to make sure at that erosion…
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Sleeper Wall – Appearance
Have you thought about about concrete for your sleeper wall? As well as plain concrete it’s possible to have a wide variety of other finishes, and colours. Here is an interesting ‘Stacked Stone’ appearance wall I saw the other week. Some of the…
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Silt Pits
Any drainage system should have silt pits at regular intervals. This includes both stormwater systems and agricultural drains. In the case of the above photo this is a combination drain and grate silt pit. (As the water can become stagnant…
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Placing Fill
Of so you want to place some fill. . . .perhaps behind a retaining wall to level a garden . . . So what do you need to understand? Here are some things to consider. Final Volume – Loose Volume Most people…
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Retaining Walls – Besser Blocks
If you want a rendered surface on your retaining wall one of the best ways of achieving this is by using ‘Besser Blocks’. These are hollow concrete blocks which are designed to incorporate steel reinforcement within the block. A few issues…
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Block Retaining Wall – Loose Lay
Loose lay retaining wall blocks are concrete blocks that have a nib cast on the underside. (see photo) This stops each block slipping forward of the block below. There are a number of different manufacturers and most produce more than…
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Retaining Walls – Gabbions
Gabbions are big wire baskets filled with rocks. The baskets are typically available for retaining wall use in 1m x 1m x 2m units. and you arrange the rock fill yourself. Gabbion walls can be described as a Permeable, Steel…
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Retaining Walls – Sleeper Wall Details
Here are some details I would be using to build a retaining wall with galvanized steel posts up to 800mm high. This is not a guarantee that these details will be suitable for your application. Ground I would want to…
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