# Fix leaning retaining wall



## Zamboknee (Jul 9, 2011)

Need to fix a leaning/falling retaining wall(s).
When installed we put in french drain running along the length of each wall.

Any tips or recommendations are appreciated.
Thanks


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Not sure that is fixable or fixable via increment vs. ripping it out and re-doing it.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

I agree with @Windows on Wash

Been there done that. In my case, tore the walls out, heaved them into the dumpsters and had a nice slope.

So, @Zamboknee, tell us about your situation, and what you want to accomplish. That will help us give better advise.


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## Calson (Jan 23, 2019)

Did you put in a concrete footing for the wall? If not then do so and if you did than it was not done correctly. Best to have the footing sloping slightly to the back for a retaining wall. 

Better than what happened with a neighbor who had his field workers construct a long section of wall using river rock and concrete. They did not know about the need for a footing and the wall fell over. The used tractors to make verical again but 10 years later the 5 ft high wall only is 3 feet tall as it has been gradually sinking down into the ground. Old saying that an ounce of prevention (or research) is worth a pound of cure applies here.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

If you were fishing for ideas like trying to "push" the bow back with a skidsteer, or just removing the lower wall bowed part or the upper wall vertical waviness and rebuilding those portions, I don't think it can be done without starting from scratch. I also don't know how it was built or the type of blocks you have (like whether they have lips or pins). 

But it looks like a vertical retaining wall (meaning flush, not set back) which should be reinforced. If you choose to reuse the blocks and rebuild from scratch, here is a typical detail for a Unilock vertical wall:


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## Missouri Bound (Apr 9, 2011)

Back in the 70's the contractor I worked for had the exact same problem.
The solution was to completely dig out the back side of the wall, pour a couple of piers in that excavation...maybe 3...it's been a while.
Anyway, we fastened cables to those piers and attached them to the wall.
Then we used a jack and was able to position it against the neighbors foundation. With the use of a long beam we were able to push the wall back to plumb.
Then we tightened the cables, backfilled the hole and removed the jack.
It was holding when we left....but that was in the 70's. I have not been anywhere near there since then. In theory I would think it would have done the job. I believe an engineer was involved in the solution. 
Or you could bust it out and start over.


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

In order to fix this, you need to remove dirt behind so you have somewhere to move the wall. Probably less work overall to remove and replace since something was likely wrong in this installation to have this issue in the first place.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

The reason that walls fail like that is twofold.

The drain is not draining, and water pools behind the wall, then pushed it out. 

The remedy is to replace the drain for a better one, and add " tie-backs", or Dead-men, behind the wall.

These are something heavy buried in the hill, and tied to the wall by cables, or another solid thing.

This adds weight to the structure enough that any water pushing on the wall, won't move it. 

Bear in mind that anything steel buried will eventually rust out and fail also, but that is 25 or more years away usually.



ED


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## Zamboknee (Jul 9, 2011)

The walls were put in about 8 years ago.
When it’s spring we have some nice plants there and ultimately we were going to put in a paver patio at bottom between bottom wall and back of the garage.

I sent my buddy, who helped us with the install, these latest pics (he used to work for a landscaper at the time) and he thinks there’s trapped water there still because we used pea gravel for the base layer.

As many of you recommended , we’re probably gonna have to put in a proper crushed gravel base.

These pics are from today.

The green line is the current French drain (covered in pea gravel) that's behind the wall.

Blue line is property marker

The yellow line pertains to my follow up question. 
If we were to take walls down, put in a proper gravel base, put walls back up, would that be enough or should we put in more French drain where the yellow line is to move more water away?
I ask this because as you can see by the NON-marked up pic, the soil that was right up to the edge of the capstones has been washed away.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

Has it washed away or settled? Either way, you are taking your neighbor's water, and not just the surface sheetflow, but underground. So I don't know how low you put the drains and where they connect, but they should be joined and carried out beyond the front of the garage. A frenchie up behind the top wall might help, but really you should be creating a swale to direct any sheetflow from the neighbors around your wall. Here's an Allan Block drawing on that







I'd keep the swale as far up the hill (and away from the wall, hope there isn't utilities in an easement back there) as you can get it. And this swale should extend down the sides where there is no wall. 


Also here is a good description on tiered walls.
http://www.retainingwallexpert.com/artman2/publish/engineering-design/Tiered_or_Merged_Retaining_Walls.shtml

Can't tell from the pic, but you may need to lower grade more around the garage and have it sloping actually backwards toward the wall a little ways, then directing it over to the sides. If it were me, I'd have trouble deciding whether to do just one higher wall to match neighbor's grade and give me more usable room on my property.

P.S. yeah, pea gravel is not good for base because all the air pockets can hold a lot of water.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

As you likely know you built them just low enough so you didn't need an engineer.
You can still study the material that engineers use and do it to their suggestions. 

I like your idea of a drain up high at the property line, it looks the whole hill is moving so the sooner you can grab the water the better. 

I think you should spend more and do more and make that yard pretty. 

https://www.allanblock.com/literature/pdf/EngManual.pdf


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## ron45 (Feb 25, 2014)

I would take the stone out and use it like down the driveway, steps, path etc..

I would put in a nice wooden retaining wall.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/retaining-wall/how-to-build-a-retaining-wall/










Or.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/land...l/how-to-build-a-treated-wood-retaining-wall/


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