Why and When Do I Need Stamped Engineering? In most cities, counties, or states, retaining walls taller than four feet, must be designed or approved by a state qualified and licensed engineer. Even when walls are shorter than four feet, it is important to adhere to local building codes prior to construction (sample permit application). All retaining walls bear some type of load, thus the term "retaining" wall. So keep in the mind the design or engineering of your wall first and the aesthetics second. The taller the wall the more force the soil has pushing against the wall. This force is known as "lateral earth pressure". An engineer works with several parameters to determine the lateral earth pressure; like soil weight, angle of internal friction, and water table. Once an engineer knows the parameters of an area, they can calculate possible failure factors, such as overturning, base sliding and soil bearing capacity. They then factor those statistics by the walls size to determine the an adequate strength and reinforcement plan or design. Retaining walls are easier and cheaper to build correctly the first time, than to rebuild due to failures. A few of the most common problems you'll see in poorly constructed retaining walls are tilting, cracking and bowing of the block. By taking some time to research proper construction of your retaining wall or by following a stamped engineered design of your wall, it is possible to foresee environmental, structual and construction demands before it's too late. This is why more and more states are requiring stamped engineering. In order to obtain stamped engineering an engineer may require; soil samples, area photos, slope angles and a site sketch/plan. If you are using the HTS Engineering Assistance Program, everything is outlined step-by-step in a block specific HTS Pros Guide. |
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