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Designing Denver retaining walls is not just about stacking stones or woods to make a type of wall that would make a structure look more appealing. It is also about making the whole structure sturdier, and to prevent it from collapsing due to age. Many Colorado homeowners need retaining walls for their properties to be more stable, and have decided to get permission from their local government to build this kind of wall for the protection of their properties and families. There are different materials used to build retaining walls, and all of these are capable of making any structure stronger. Since Colorado is made up of high terrains, it would be important to build retaining walls that would support each building. Which type of retaining walls then, would be perfect for properties in Colorado? • Cantilever Retaining Walls Cantilever retaining walls are single-layered, with constant thickness and its base connected to a slab of stone. These walls are capable of holding impressive amount of soils, and can support tall slopes that other types of walls may not be able to. Building Cantilever retaining walls is complex though, and would need steel reinforcement in both the base and the surface. It would be better to hire someone else to construct these walls instead of doing it yourself, as proper engineering is the only way to make it effective. • Counterfort Retaining Walls Counterfort Retaining Walls have certain similarities to Cantilever walls. While the former are single layered, Counterfort retaining walls are constructed with vertical concrete webs that are added on a regular interval beside the rear. It lessens the bending of the walls that might be caused by the earth’s movement, providing added strength to the structure. Between Cantilever retaining walls and Counterfort retaining walls, the latter is more inexpensive. • Gravity Walls These walls are usually not more than four feet high. It is built for the purpose of resisting the pressure that is exerted by the materials behind, and relies on its weight. Its base is thicker than the top, with it leaning backwards the materials inside or behind it. Once a bulge shows though, there would be a need to reconstruct the walls, as it would be a deformity and may cause problems with the structure in the future. Once it starts bulging, it has to be reconstructed. Unlike the other two, building Gravity Walls does not entitle owners to hire a company, since it can be built by one’s self. Keep in mind though, that these walls should not be built for properties in higher slopes, because Gravity Walls tend to break overtime. Consulting a professional before building a retaining wall would be better than taking the liberty of doing it yourself. Unless you are knowledgeable in the arts of constructing these walls, you must take the advice of someone professional so you would know what to do with retaining walls.
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