How to Build a Terraced Retaining Wall With Railroad Ties

Calculate how many terraces you need by measuring the rise and run of the slope. The rise is the vertical height of the slope, and the run is the length of the slope's base. The walls should be no higher than 3 feet, so divide the rise by three to determine how many terraces you need. Determine the width of the beds on top of the terraces by dividing the number of terraces into the length of the base. In this example, we'll build two terraces that are 3 feet high and 4 feet long.

Dig a trench in the ground where you are building the first terrace wall that is 12 inches deep and 16 inches wide.

Rake the dirt in the bottom of the trench smooth, then tamp it down to compact it.

Fill the trench with 6 inches of gravel and compact it with the tamper.

Measure and cut the railroad ties to fit inside the trench with a circular saw. Coat the ends of the ties that you cut with wood preservative.

Drill a hole through the ties every two feet with a 1/4-inch spade bit. These holes will be used to drive rebar through to the ground.

Place the first railroad tie into the trench, positioning it so that it's about 2 inches away from the front edge of the trench. Lay a level on top of the tie to see if it's straight, and tap down on it with a hammer to level it if necessary. Place a wooden block on the tie where it's being hammered to protect the tie. When placing the ties into the trench, make sure that the holes for the rebar are lined up and running up and down.

Drive 2-foot sections of rebar through the holes and into the ground with a sledgehammer.

Place the rest of the ties for the first course into the trench, using the same process. Keep the other ties even with the first tie.

Slope the gravel at the back of the trench toward the area you want to drain water.

Wrap landscaping fabric around drain tile, and lay it into the back of the trench about 4 inches away from the back edge. The landscaping fabric prevents dirt from entering the drain tile, which can clog it. The drain tile is plastic pipe that contains holes for drainage.

Dig holes into the hill behind the trench for the side walls of the terrace. The holes should be about 8 feet long and should extend straight back from the ends of the first course of ties.

Lay the ties for the second course on top of the ties in the first course. When setting the second course, stagger the ties so that the joints between them don't line up with the joints in the first-course ties. Drive timber screws through both courses of ties, using two screws on each end and one in the center of each tie.

Install the third course of ties, attaching them to the second course with timber screws and keeping them staggered from ties in the second row.

Dig into the hillside behind the wall and use the soil to fill up the area behind the wall.

Cut railroad ties that measure 4 1/2 feet long to serve as the deadmen. The deadmen are installed perpendicular to the direction of the wall, extending back into the soil, where they are anchored into the ground with rebar. Drill a hole in the back of the deadmen for the rebar. Install one deadman every 4 to 8 feet along the wall.

Install the deadmen by placing them on the ground with the front edge flush with the front edge of the wall. Attach the front edge to the wall with the timber screws, and drive rebar through the hole in the back edge to anchor it.

Install railroad ties for the fourth course around the deadmen, using timber screws to attach them.

Install more railroad ties until the wall is 3 feet high.

Build the second terrace using the same process, setting the wall for the second terrace 4 feet back from the first wall.

Fill the area behind the terrace walls with dirt until it's about 3 inches below the top of the wall. Add a layer of compost and topsoil on top of the dirt and run a mechanical tiller over the beds to mix the soil together.

Add the plants of your choice to the beds.