Does a retaining wall need a footing?

Foundation. A buried structural footing is usually required for larger retaining walls. To create this, a landscaper pours concrete below frost level (the depth to which the ground will freeze during the winter). Footings poured too shallow are prone to shifting and moving if moisture in the soil freezes and heaves.

How high can you build a block wall?

6 feet, 8 inches

What can I do instead of a retaining wall?

Reinforced Soil Slopes. Reinforced soil slopes are a quick and easy construction style that uses a geotextile, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, to lock existing soil into place to create a reinforced mass.
Natural Stone Walls.
Wooden Timbers.
Gabion Walls.
Soil Bioengineered Walls.

How do you build a sleeper retaining wall?

Constructing a retaining wall out of upright sleepers is pretty straightforward. Simply dig a trench, lower the sleepers in vertically side by side, and then backfill with a dry concrete mix, that you can ram down around the railway sleepers untill the wall is rigid.

Do sleeper walls have foundations?

The most important thing is that the railway sleepers are laid on a surface that is level and firm. Perfectionists and Engineers will do this on a foundation of concrete, but more mortal people will often simply use gravel or hardcore or sand or even the soil itself if it is solid.

How long will a sleeper retaining wall last?

How long do railway sleepers last? Railway sleepers will last for years, with our softwood treated sleepers they can last around 20 to 30 years due to the pressurised treatment.

Can you lay sleepers on soil?

For one, you can simply place your sleepers directly onto soil, allowing the heavy sleepers time to bed in. Simply dig a shallow trench and place your sleepers down onto your newly created gravel or sand-based foundation.