Landscape Retaining Wall Design
The first step is to determine whether you need a gravity wall or reinforced wall.
Gravity Wall
Reinforced Wall
Gravity Wall
**Please note that the gravity wall chart provided has specific heights for specific site and soil conditions. If you are not sure of your site conditions we recommend being conservative with your retaining wall heights or use geogrid in your retaining wall. See our Soil Reinforcement Chart.
Reinforced Wall
Reinforced walls use layers of geogrid to combine the soil and block together to form a reinforced soil mass.
Under certain conditions, the block weight and setback alone do not provide enough structural support. This is where geogrid comes in – Allan Block’s Reinforcement Grid™ provides a simple solution by creating a solid structure with more resistance to soil pressure and surcharges for retaining walls under 6 ft. (1.8 m) tall. Learn more about reinforced retaining wall construction.
Conditions Above and Behind the Retaining Wall
Conditions above and behind the retaining wall will determine how tall the retaining wall can be before reinforcement is needed.
Slopes
Slope above retaining wall
Slope below retaining wall
A slope above a retaining wall will add more pressure and weight, while slopes below the retaining wall may make the wall unstable due to sliding or erosion. Avoid slopes greater than 3 to 1 without first consulting a local engineer.
