The ability of a dry stack retaining wall to shift and breathe is a feature, not a bug. For stone walls that require added reinforcement against lateral loads, look into tiebacks or geogrid reinforcement.
This would be discussed in an introduction to soil mechanics and foundation design (Braja Das's textbooks used to be the standard reference in the US when I was a student 15+ years ago) but I'm afraid they're too dry for anyone outside the profession. I'm not aware of an author who can animate civ eng subjects for the adult with the talent of David Macaulay. But I can point you to a few "engineering gems" that might pique your interest if you like this sort of stuff: prestressed and post-tensioned concrete (the work of Freyssinet, see Billington's books), readings from John Ochsendorf's class on historic structures in https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/4-448-analysis-of-historic-struc..., bicycle wheel as prestressed structure (the same principle used in some tension-compression stadium roof structures): http://www-civ.eng.cam.ac.uk/cjb/papers/p20.pdf
There are Civil Engineers here (I only studied it at Uni - I ended up in IT!)
When you deploy a structure like a retaining wall you want to try and ensure that the materials you use will retain their properties as long as possible and if part of it fails, it should not case the whole structure to fail. Add additional design requirements as you like eg colour and texture but always think about function first or you will regret it later!
In a garden setting, you will want to consider: gabions, drystone walling and "sleepers" (large lumps of wood - like railway sleepers).
Some quick material thoughts: Wood is prone to rotting, so ensure it is treated and well drained. Drystone walling can be prone to collapse unless it is allowed to drain properly and plants/weeds should be removed. It should be slanted at around 5 degrees from vertical to resist collapse. Gabions made of galvanized steel wire are extremely strong and resistant to pretty much anything. Devon Popples are an ideal filling for gabions and make a phenomenal structure.
I built a deck part way down in my garden. It is about 5m wide and sticks out about 1.8m. Behind it is a sleeper retaining wall which is about 1.8m high. I angled it back by about 2 degrees from vertical. I laid it on a concrete strip to spread the load and gravel base and back filled with quite a lot of scrap brick and rubbish for drainage. I used some 2m x 10mm stainless steel threaded rods embedded into the conc base to ensure horizontal stability (horizontal shear). I used 180mm, No. 10 passivated screws to keep the wall together whilst I built it and back filled.
"Where can we read more on this engineering"
It's everywhere but you will have to deal with local conditions. I am not convinced you are what you claim.
Look at the Dry Stone Wall Association of Great Britain, or The Stone Trust in the United States. These organizations still teach traditional methods of dry stone walling which cover a lot of these techniques.
toomuchtodo|2 years ago
myegorov|2 years ago
gerdesj|2 years ago
When you deploy a structure like a retaining wall you want to try and ensure that the materials you use will retain their properties as long as possible and if part of it fails, it should not case the whole structure to fail. Add additional design requirements as you like eg colour and texture but always think about function first or you will regret it later!
In a garden setting, you will want to consider: gabions, drystone walling and "sleepers" (large lumps of wood - like railway sleepers).
Some quick material thoughts: Wood is prone to rotting, so ensure it is treated and well drained. Drystone walling can be prone to collapse unless it is allowed to drain properly and plants/weeds should be removed. It should be slanted at around 5 degrees from vertical to resist collapse. Gabions made of galvanized steel wire are extremely strong and resistant to pretty much anything. Devon Popples are an ideal filling for gabions and make a phenomenal structure.
I built a deck part way down in my garden. It is about 5m wide and sticks out about 1.8m. Behind it is a sleeper retaining wall which is about 1.8m high. I angled it back by about 2 degrees from vertical. I laid it on a concrete strip to spread the load and gravel base and back filled with quite a lot of scrap brick and rubbish for drainage. I used some 2m x 10mm stainless steel threaded rods embedded into the conc base to ensure horizontal stability (horizontal shear). I used 180mm, No. 10 passivated screws to keep the wall together whilst I built it and back filled.
"Where can we read more on this engineering"
It's everywhere but you will have to deal with local conditions. I am not convinced you are what you claim.
lapsed_pacifist|2 years ago
Probiotic6081|2 years ago