Armour Stone Retaining

While retaining walls are designed and built to hold back earth and fill they will also hold back and channel water. The water that builds up behind a retaining wall is referred to as “hydrostatic pressure” and the external force of the material/fill held behind your wall coupled with the weight of the water is often enough to seriously compromise the integrity of your wall and even cause failure and collapse.

A good drainage system should be an integral part of any retaining wall design. Depending on the type and shape of the armour stone used to build the wall there are a variety of ways to integrate sufficient drainage such as weep holes, lateral drains, blanket drains and also the use of very granular soil or fill.

Never underestimate the external forces that are being applied to your retaining wall as there are many retaining walls throughout our area that have failed due to poorly thought out or non-existent drainage. Don’t let your contractor make this mistake!

If you want your new retaining wall to last a very long time, understanding surcharge loads is very important to the stability of your wall. Be wary of a contractor who doesn’t explain this to you, if it applies to your wall. A surcharge load on a retaining wall is any load that rests on the surface of the soil close enough (directly above or within 4 feet) of the retaining wall to cause a lateral pressure on the wall.

Maybe you’re parking a vehicle, boat, or an RV on top of the area? Maybe you’d like to build a decorative cedar fence along the wall for privacy? These are examples of a surcharge load and would require your retaining wall to be designed and built with a little more care and proper procedures.

According to the Ottawa building codes a “retaining wall” means a structure which supports and confines a mass of earth or water where there is a change in ground elevation. Retaining walls that are over 1.2 meters (3.9ft) in height will usually require a building permit. In addition any retaining walls over 1.2 meters (3.9ft) in height must be designed and signed off by a geo-technical and/or structural engineer to ensure the wall is properly constructed for your site conditions and intended purpose (like a surcharge load). This does not account for any covenants that might be on your property.

When building a retaining wall on your property that is designed to hold back tonnes of soil and earth there is very little margin for error. Depending on how large your retaining wall and what purpose it is intended to serve, we may need to work directly with a geotechnical engineer to ensure your wall is built the right way.

1. We start with our initial consultation.
2. We determine how many feet of retaining wall you need.
3. We determine the height of the wall and if a building permit or engineer will be required.
4. We consult with you on the type of stone you would like your retaining wall to be built with.
5. We’ll provide you with an accurate written estimate for the work.
6. We’ll get to work on the schedule start-date and build your new retaining wall.
7. We’ll maintain open and transparent lines of communication throughout the project, including daily updates on how things are progressing. We believe communication is important and vital to a succesful project!
8. The end result will be a beautiful new retaining wall on your property.

The amount of work required to build a retaining wall can vary widely from project to project. The slope of your property, the amount of earth your retaining wall must hold back and the overall accessibility of your property will all contribute to the final cost.

Remember: Retaining walls that are in excess of 1.2 meters in height (3.9 ft) will require a building permit and must be designed by a geotechnical engineer. We are more than happy to arrange and organize more complex projects such as this.

When you choose Shade Group for your project you are partnering with a local business that has been serving the Ottawa area for many years. You can count on your project being completed on time, on budget and with a level of workmanship and attention to detail you won’t find with other contractors.

The Shade Group team is large enough to design and install retaining walls of all sizes but we’re still small enough to give your new retaining wall the specific care and attention it needs to be safe, solid and aesthetically pleasing.

We’ll maintain a safe working environment and we’ll protect your property from any damage while using our machines, the end result is to meet all of your excavation and landscaping goals while leaving minimal trace of our presence. Our business has continued to grow through word-of-mouth from our many happy customers who refer us to friends and family. It’s through our continued commitment to quality and customer satisfaction that we are able to continue doing what we do best!

We believe in providing great service, superb communication and value with every project we complete!

If you’d like an estimate for your project please fill out our contact form and we’ll get right back to you. We strive to respond within 24-48 hours – so if you haven’t heard from us – check your junk mail filter!