Retaining Walls & Walkways

Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, concrete block, stone such as marble, granite, limestone; glass block, and tile. Masonry is generally a highly durable form of construction. However, the materials used, the quality of the workmanship and mortar, and the pattern the units are put in can strongly affect the durability of the overall masonry construction.

RETAINING WALLS

Retaining Walls are structures that hold back earth from a structure and they are also used in landscaping to create levels in a yards and larger gardens. Retaining walls stabilize soil from down slope movement or erosion and provide support for vertical or near-vertical grade changes. Retaining walls depend on the size and weight of the wall mass to resist pressures from behind. Retaining walls are generally made of masonry, stone, brick, or concrete.

Retaining Wall

Reasons for having retaining walls: 1. Protection against elevation differences 2. Redesigning the landscape 3. Applying levels in the landscape to solve a water problem Materials: 1. Masonry – Brick, Block or Stone 2. Dry Stacked – Concrete Units (Blocks) or Stone 3. Poured concrete