Retaining wall with rip rap

[elfman]

I am a mechanical engineer by trade, but have a quick question. I need to build a retaining wall approximately 20 feet long and 4 to 4.5 feet high. The soil is a very heavy clay with lots of rocks, in Salt Lake City, Utah. I don't care what the wall looks like but want to stay as close to the property line as possible and I would like a solid, very permanant structure, and as easy and inexpensive to build as possible.

I had pretty much figured I would do cinderblock with footings, until I ran across some information on rip rap walls, just using bags of concrete. Would this be an acceptable means of building the wall? What are some good sources for how to build such a wall? Do I still need footings, or can the footings just be rip rap as well? If not rip-rap what are some good ways to to build such a wall? I can't afford to have someone else do it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[cvg]

It looks like hell, but can be done with concrete sacks. My specs recommend a 4-sack mix, using pea gravel. Sacks are 10 oz burlap with 1.25 cubic foot capacity. Fill each sack loosely and tie the top. Place and tamp into place. Cure by spraying the bags with water. No concrete foundation is required, however, it is recommended that the bottom two layers are layed cross wise to form a double thick foundation and should be placed in an excavated trench.

 

[cvg]

check out the following thread

thread255-86678

 

[GabionGuy]

elfman,

I suggest you look into a woven wire gabion retaining wall.

http://www.maccaferri-northamerica.com