Can You Use Concrete for a Retaining Wall?

Monolithic Concrete Retaining Walls

• One of the simplest ways to use concrete for a retaining wall is to pour concrete into a form built in place against the side of the hill. The entire wall is made of one massive piece of concrete. Called a gravity poured concrete masonry or monolithic wall, this type of retaining wall is so massive that it can be up to 10 feet tall without needing any reinforcement, depending on local building codes. These walls can be made to look like walls made of stone by using stone facade molds. This style of wall is relatively simple to build.

Cantilever Concrete Retaining Walls

• You can also pour concrete to form thinner walls reinforced by struts placed behind them. The base consists of a stem wall and base slab. Masons use less concrete in the cantilever concrete wall than that used in a monolithic wall due to the extra struts and supports added behind the wall. Because of its constructions, the cantilever retaining wall can be as high as 25 feet. However, the engineering calculations for cantilever concrete retaining walls are more complex making it more difficult to design and build than monolithic walls.

Mixed Styles

• Poured concrete retaining walls can also incorporate features of both monolithic and cantilever walls. These incorporate the advantages and disadvantages of both designs. These walls called, semi-gravity walls may incorporate footings or stem walls or reinforcement by using struts, if needed.

Concrete Block Retaining Walls

• Many choose to build retaining walls out of concrete blocks. To build a concrete block wall you need to dig a foundation trench, known as a footing, 1 foot to 2 feet deep. Each brick in successive rows from the one below offsets or straddles the joint of the bricks below, so that the joints between blocks don't line up. Mortar the blocks together and use rebar reinforcement or stack them dry, counting on their weight to hold them in place, depending upon local building codes. Concrete block walls cannot exceed 4 feet in height without special engineering.