When was the last time you noticed a concrete retaining wall? While they may not have the profile or the glamour of other house features, you’d soon realize if they weren’t around! They do such a good job at holding back earth from the pull of gravity, but you can be forgiven for barely noticing them at homes and businesses everywhere. J&A Services, a concrete contractor in Columbia, regularly installs beautiful and functional retaining walls. Below you will find a brief rundown of the features and duties of retaining walls.
Purpose and Aesthetics
As well as keeping the earth from sliding, retaining walls can serve to transform the features in your garden. Take a hard-to-maintain slope for example. With the right wall design, you can transform one into the ideal site for a patio; as well as a barrier that offers protection from sunlight or wind.
Retaining walls also:
- Require minimal maintenance and are both durable and long-lasting.
- Help prevent erosion and flooding by providing functional support.
- Get rid of eye-sore inclines and dirt piles.
Types of Retaining Walls
Gravity Poured Concrete Retaining Walls – The most basic form, these rely on sheer mass and weight to hold the soil at bay. Most will require a small trench to be dug for the wall to fit into.
Semi-Gravity Retaining Walls – These walls include some reinforcing steel to minimize the thickness of the wall without the need for large amounts of reinforcement.
Cantilever Retaining Walls – Use less concrete than gravity walls, but require more careful building and design as a result. Sometimes known as a reinforced retaining wall from the steel bars that run through them.
Counterfort Retaining Walls – These are similar to the cantilever type except they have thin vertical concrete webs at regular intervals along the back, known as counterforts.
J&A Services: Your Concrete Contractor in Columbia
When planning a retaining wall that’s going to hold back many tons of earth, there’s little room for error. How long your wall will last is determined by factors that are hard to judge – like sound footings and drainage. To ensure these essential details are taken into account, contact J&A services. As a knowledgeable concrete contractor in Columbia, we have years of experience designing and installing retaining walls of all sizes.