Retaining Walls And The Types

Types of Retaining walls And Their Applications

Retaining walls should look good! With the range of different building materials you are no longer stuck with a couple of choices in what sort of wall and how it will look.

A well built retaining walls will not only provide a great looking feature, they will allow you to you all of your land and increase the value of your home.

If you’re considering a retaining wall but are wondering how to get started, we can help you figure out which type of retaining wall is suitable for your home and what the process is.

Besser Bricks

Besser Blocks are a popular choice for retaining walls or when a wall is needed to level sloping terrain. Besser Block Retaining Walls are installed on a concrete foundation and are often used for engineered and load-bearing walls where the hollow blocks are filled with mortar and reinforced with steel.
However, due to the simple aesthetic appearance of Besser grey blocks, they are often used only for applications where the wall is not visible or they are rendered over the grey cement surface of the blocks.
Waterproofing is often needed as besser blocks will leach out minerals over time and become discoloured.

Segmental retaining wall blocks

These are also called link retaining wall blocks and these are a a great DIY retaining wall systems for raised garden beads. Segmental retaining walls “stack” or “link together” without mortar, concrete or glue. These systems are installed on compacted pavement, which is much easier to install than a concrete foundation. 

The link style wall blocks come in a number of colours and textures, including black and creams, and a variety of block surface textures are available, including the traditional split-face block.

These concrete retaining wall blocks come in various shapes and sizes and can be either vertical (piled directly on top of each other) or set back (leaning back with each higher wall course). The different types of retaining wall systems can be built at different heights.

Concrete Sleeper Retaining Walls

Concrete sleepers are a popular alternative for low, purely vertical garden walls.
Sleeper walls are narrow in width so they can be installed in areas with limited space.
In addition, concrete sleeper walls are superior to wood sleepers because they are durable and will not rot.
However, concrete sleeper walls, while an effective means of ground stabilization, can be challenging to install in rocky areas because the posts must be set as deep into the ground as the wall is tall.
Digging deep post holes and setting the posts in concrete so they are plumb can be challenging in areas that have a bedrock area under their property.

Retaining Wall Ideas For Landscaping

If you’re looking for retaining wall ideas for landscaping, you’ve come to the right place. In addition to our professional and technical advice, the ALRW’s Retaining Wall projects gallery is a great place to start for inspiration for your retaining wall project. All the ideas shown in these images can be implemented with the ALRW contractor’s help.

Applications For Retaining Walls

Retaining wall blocks can be used for many landscaping applications, from levelling sloped areas and retaining soil to edging and planting vegetable gardens. Some of the most popular applications of retaining wall blocks include;

• Retaining walls for soil

The most common use of retaining walls is to shore up soil that would otherwise slide downhill. This type of wall prevents soil erosion by stabilizing the soil to hold it in place. Concrete retaining wall blocks are excellent for this application because they are very durable and, when properly installed, leave very little room for problem soil to move.

• Level, sloping land

The land is more valuable than ever, but in many areas, homes are built on sloping blocks, and often this land can become steep and unusable, wasting garden space. Retaining walls are an effective solution for levelling sloping terrain and creating a flat area that the family can use better and allow all parts of the property to be utilised.

• Landscaping & Garden Walls

In many cases, retaining walls are a “forced” purchase required to correct a soil or slope problem, but retaining walls can also be used as an element of landscaping.
Retaining walls can be used to create a significant elevation change in the garden that can be used as an excellent feature. In addition to straight walls, you can also build curved retaining walls and add steps to retaining walls.
For gardeners, a small retaining wall can create raised garden beds that are excellent for planting because it allows you to bring in new, quality soil instead of digging into the ground.
In addition, maintaining the garden is made easier because it is higher. When done properly, retaining walls with copings (like Versawall) can also serve as informal seating walls, expanding your garden’s ability to host and entertain family and friends.

Concrete retaining wall blocks can also be used to create planter boxes and vegetable gardens. Blocks with special corners are great for building square and rectangular planter boxes that can be filled with soil and planted with trees or even vegetables and herbs that you can grow yourself!

How to build retaining walls

Retaining walls up to 800mm high can be DIY projects especially when using link blocks if you are wanting raised garden beds.
Walls that exceed this height, or retaining walls that require reinforcement or an engineered solution or for which a building permit must be obtained, should be built by a professional retaining wall builder. Retaining walls that serve a structural purpose (retaining soil) carry a risk of failure. An experienced contractor is best suited to build your retaining wall in these cases.

Choose the contractor for your retaining wall project wisely

When choosing your retaining wall contractor, we at Aesthetic Landscape and Retaining Walls are an experienced Brisbane landscaping company providing quality landscaping services for 20 years. We have expertise in all aspects of landscape design and construction.

We build the right retaining walls and fencing for your property.
Get in touch with us today.