The town of Cochrane published a retaining wall requirements checklist for reference, which can also serve as an example of what to look for when constructing a retaining wall. Understanding the codes of where you’re building locally is something to keep in mind too. Another key component is to understand the requirements and safety code behind what wall is chosen.

Whether it be for landscaping or a dugout trench for light rail tracks, concrete retaining walls are imperative to ensure the safety and utility of your project. To ensure the proper amount of weight is holding the wall in place, the ‘anchors’, put deep into the ground, are injected with pressurized concrete to create a legitimate anchor for weight. This often requires the use of Anchored retaining walls.

Sheet piling is accomplished through a thin layer of material, whether that be a sheet of steel, vinyl, or wood, placed directly into the ground. Other versions or variations of the cantilever are buttressed retaining walls and counterfort retaining walls, which include extra portions of concrete added to the bottom of the structure to provide heightened strength towards holding the soil. The weight of the soil holds the concrete structure down, reinforcing its ability to hold the soil behind it. The concrete is made to go under the soil you are trying to hold, which is referred to as the “heel”. Cantilever Retaining WallĬantilever walls are made out of concrete and constructed in an L shape. Simplicity is the core strength of a gravity wall, as it simply uses weight to leverage the soil. A gravity model uses the mass of the stone retaining wall to resist pressure from the soil to ensure the soil stays in place. This structure heavily depends on the stone you are using and how heavy it is. Gravity retaining walls are the most common type of wall.

Contact us today for a quote.ĭifferent Structures for Different Walls Gravity Wall We can also ship your retaining wall blocks anywhere in Alberta. Because Westcon is a licensed manufacturer of Redi-Rock, this allows us to gain access to a quick and easy purchase and installation of retaining walls in the Edmonton and Calgary area. Redi-Rock is a concrete retaining wall manufacturer specializing in the design of gravity retaining walls that are designed to scale in weight and differ in look to be applicable for a variety of projects. Westcon Precast is Alberta’s only licensed Redi-Rock manufacturer, with Westcon specializing in Redi-Rock concrete retaining walls. Retaining walls are commonly used for landscaping designs that contain multi-tier gardens, on the side of mountain highways to create a flat surface for pavement, protection from flooding, and alongside bridges to protect against erosion.

Retaining wall blocks