Hello,
we need to secure our embankment against the neighbor’s property on our hillside plot and plan to do this with a concrete block retaining wall (which will be plastered later). Our soil mainly consists of clay, which we unfortunately have quite a lot of on our property.
We are now considering backfilling the wall (height is 1 meter) with 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) of material and placing a perforated drainage pipe (connected to the sewer) on top, followed by topsoil with grass. Of course, a dimpled membrane will be installed between the wall and the soil to protect the wall. On the internet, it is often recommended to use gravel for backfilling. However, I wonder where the rainwater would go if the gravel only channels the water without retaining it? From our perspective, water might accumulate at the base of the retaining wall, which is not ideal.
Attached is a picture... the wall is not complete yet, but the right side will be backfilled by us...
With "our" solution using clay soil (which is quite firm and dry and hardly absorbs water) and topsoil, the topsoil could retain some water, and any excess can be drained away through the drainage pipe. What do you think?
Thank you very much in advance for your help :-)
we need to secure our embankment against the neighbor’s property on our hillside plot and plan to do this with a concrete block retaining wall (which will be plastered later). Our soil mainly consists of clay, which we unfortunately have quite a lot of on our property.
We are now considering backfilling the wall (height is 1 meter) with 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) of material and placing a perforated drainage pipe (connected to the sewer) on top, followed by topsoil with grass. Of course, a dimpled membrane will be installed between the wall and the soil to protect the wall. On the internet, it is often recommended to use gravel for backfilling. However, I wonder where the rainwater would go if the gravel only channels the water without retaining it? From our perspective, water might accumulate at the base of the retaining wall, which is not ideal.
Attached is a picture... the wall is not complete yet, but the right side will be backfilled by us...
With "our" solution using clay soil (which is quite firm and dry and hardly absorbs water) and topsoil, the topsoil could retain some water, and any excess can be drained away through the drainage pipe. What do you think?
Thank you very much in advance for your help :-)
If the wall is going to be plastered, apply bitumen on the backside first to ensure the plaster adheres properly. There are also primers that make the front side waterproof, but don’t ask me which ones.
I would place the drainage in the gravel base and then connect it to the drainage system.
We also filled up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) with clay, the remaining 20 cm (8 inches) with topsoil substrate.
I would place the drainage in the gravel base and then connect it to the drainage system.
We also filled up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) with clay, the remaining 20 cm (8 inches) with topsoil substrate.
S
Strahleman6 Aug 2021 21:49Did you skip the strip foundation, or is it just not visible in the picture? Currently, the absence of a foundation concerns me more than the drainage over the clay soil.
Thanks first of all for your replies.
@TomTom: The plastering is actually only intended for the part that is exposed. We also considered using bitumen on the backfill side, but we would only apply a dimpled membrane there.
@strahlemann: The foundation is, of course, in place (between 45 and 65 cm (18 and 26 inches)) and there is also compacted gravel underneath. We have also used plenty of steel reinforcement in the wall.
Nevertheless, we are unsure whether our construction method using clay and topsoil might eventually cause moisture problems in the wall.
@TomTom: The plastering is actually only intended for the part that is exposed. We also considered using bitumen on the backfill side, but we would only apply a dimpled membrane there.
@strahlemann: The foundation is, of course, in place (between 45 and 65 cm (18 and 26 inches)) and there is also compacted gravel underneath. We have also used plenty of steel reinforcement in the wall.
Nevertheless, we are unsure whether our construction method using clay and topsoil might eventually cause moisture problems in the wall.
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