My first of many Retaining Walls to tame my slope - DIY

[dragoneggs]

Who says loaders aren't meant for digging
View attachment 335818 View attachment 335819

Did the Piranha tooth bar loosen up all the soil in the bucket?

Yes... but I have to admit... some of the soil is loose because I had an excavator come in and clear about 4 months ago. But I am digging well below grade and what he tore up. I could not do this without the PTB. Prior to installing it, the straight edge of my FEL could dig a thing. The tooth bar dislodges rocks and will cut wet clay (although I have only a few spots of that), pull large roots and gives me a little more volume in my bucket. Absolutely love it. Best mod I have done. Well maybe the wheel spacers saved a rollover or two, so that ranks up there too!

 

[Coyote machine]

Nice job on the 2 of ?? walls!
Can you give some detail as to what if anything you changed in your process from wall 1 to 2 and so forth?
Like how many courses you are burying below grade, how you form your corners/curves - inside or out, etc. What method you use to get most compaction inside the block's cavity.....
Thanks!
Keep up the good work.

Wheel spacers? What are you using- pics please.

 

[dragoneggs]

Coyote! you are calling me out . Okay, spend more time on the first course, making sure it is level over the entire run. For the overall design/construction I am not wavering from the instructions except I did not bury the first course below grade. But it will be when I finish with fill/topsoil. I am trenching for the gravel base and making sure I am putting the first course on a 3/4in crushed base on top of virgin (or at least since grandma era) soil. Lesson is: spend way too much time figuring your level and slope for the wall. I am burying a 3in perf pipe with fabric sleeve behind the first row and slightly below. Sounds easy but if your wall is of any length, you need to pay attention to your first course of your wall and your drain slope.

Obviously you want you wall to be straight and level but do you??? your drain needs some slope so you need to figure that in your layout. I buried the drain just below and behind the first course. Wheel spacers from BroTek... there are a few threads and pictures on these if you do a search. Sorry I couldn't find the pics I took of installation but I put the 2" on the back and 1.25" on the front. Definitely gives you a wider more stable stance.

 

[Coyote machine]

Coyote! you are calling me out . Okay, spend more time on the first course, making sure it is level over the entire run. For the overall design/construction I am not wavering from the instructions except I did not bury the first course below grade. But it will be when I finish with fill/topsoil. I am trenching for the gravel base and making sure I am putting the first course on a 3/4in crushed base on top of virgin (or at least since grandma era) soil. Lesson is: spend way too much time figuring your level and slope for the wall. I am burying a 3in perf pipe with fabric sleeve behind the first row and slightly below. Sounds easy but if your wall is of any length, you need to pay attention to your first course of your wall and your drain slope.

Obviously you want you wall to be straight and level but do you??? your drain needs some slope so you need to figure that in your layout. I buried the drain just below and behind the first course. Wheel spacers from BroTek... there are a few threads and pictures on these if you do a search. Sorry I couldn't find the pics I took of installation but I put the 2" on the back and 1.25" on the front. Definitely gives you a wider more stable stance.

Just wanting an update to see if any hard fought lessons from all the work you've done came out of the overall process. :thumbsup::confused3: And to recap what you method is for others who might follow your lead?!
I'm a little confused by what you say about directions. Does your block mfg. say to or not to bury the first course below grade? Now we discussed early on that here in the Northeast where frost is a big factor burying at least the first course is necessary to keep walls from 'kicking' from frost. That may not be as much of an issue where you are, BUT the earth does move at times, in addition to going in circles!
Re drain tile: You could run the pipe with sock behind the first course, and T it in the middle of the parallel run of the wall, if you can run to daylight within a reasonable distance. Just another option for consideration.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yeah should bury first coarse but I didn't. Supposed to limit your behind the wall drain to 50ft parallel before putting in a Tee or outflow at end which I did do. I also think it is much easier (less work) to make curves bending into hill than away. Less block, easier chisel work, etc. the HF 10in saw was just barely able to cut the caps due to their thickness... had to struggle a little there.

 

[BigE_]

Walls with curves bending away from the hill (vs. in) stand a slightly better chance of not being pushed over, especially if the entire wall is curved. But, if constructed properly, you shouldn't have to worry about that.

 

[stuckmotor]

Yes... but I have to admit... some of the soil is loose because I had an excavator come in and clear about 4 months ago. But I am digging well below grade and what he tore up. I could not do this without the PTB. Prior to installing it, the straight edge of my FEL could dig a thing. The tooth bar dislodges rocks and will cut wet clay (although I have only a few spots of that), pull large roots and gives me a little more volume in my bucket. Absolutely love it. Best mod I have done. Well maybe the wheel spacers saved a rollover or two, so that ranks up there too!

Thanks, Dragoneggs. That makes another attachment for me to dream about.

 

[Coyote machine]

You can always start or finish a difficult to cut piece of block or cap with a hand held grinder with a diamond blade.
Burying the first coarse especially if you cut the grade from 'virgin' soil can allow the first coarse to be 'anchored' into the ground so groundwater, torrential rain, etc. can't kick the wall's 'footing'. It's not just frost that the burying protects. If it were me I consider rethinking that part of the plan for the next wall.
Look at it this way; if it kicks it's done, and trust me, doing the same wall(s) a second time really bites the bullet. JMHO, speaking from experience.:confused3:

 

[dragoneggs]

You can always start or finish a difficult to cut piece of block or cap with a hand held grinder with a diamond blade.
Burying the first coarse especially if you cut the grade from 'virgin' soil can allow the first coarse to be 'anchored' into the ground so groundwater, torrential rain, etc. can't kick the wall's 'footing'. It's not just frost that the burying protects. If it were me I consider rethinking that part of the plan for the next wall.
Look at it this way; if it kicks it's done, and trust me, doing the same wall(s) a second time really bites the bullet. JMHO, speaking from experience.:confused3:

Totally agree... should bury the first coarse. I hope this doesn't come back to bite me :shocked: Will do so on future walls.

 

[dragoneggs]

Okay a brief update after letting the winter settle things out. I am happy to report that I have not had any settling of the blocks and things seem to be in great shape and the drains working. We imported some garden soil and I just finished surrounding the garden with deer fencing 7.5ft high and installed a three foot gate. Here is the latest... I caught my wife in the 'pen' this afternoon planting starts!



Oh! And I finally got her to take a spin on the BX after almost a year! She hasn't left flat ground yet or used it productively but in time... she is a trooper.