Wood retaining walls

[VBI]

I am evaluating a 7' high retaining wall constructed of 6"x6" lumber with deadmen stagered at every 8' O.C..

I've never evaluated this kind of wall and am having a hard time finding engineering principles/design data.

Does anyone have any information or links they can share?

Thank you very much.

 

[kxa]

How are the walers connected? Analyze it like a sheet pile and then go back and make sure the 6x6's are connected to each other to resist the shear and moment. Design the connections using spikes/bolts for the maximum bending and shear and you should be OK.

 

[DaveVikingPE]

is it a crib wall?

 

[PEinc]

If the wall is old, more important than analyzing the overturning and sliding, etc. is checking the wall for deterioration. If the wall is rotted or has displaced members, it may need to be replaced.

 

[PSlem]

You are going to have to do some digging. I have seen this wall in GA collapse two years after construction because it had straight deadman timbers instead of crib construction and they just pulled out. I underpinned a house after its wall collpased and in that case the deadmen were 6" long! They were for show. A common failing is the slope gets close to the bottom so the builders might do 3' deadmen at the bottom of a 12' wall and increase them as space allows. For our area, sliding is critical.

 

[VBI]

The wall is new. There is no slope at the top so the true wall height is 7'. This is such a common wall desgin. (6"x6" lumber with laterel ties/deadmen stagered at every 8' O.C)

I had hoped there was a maximum allowable height for such walls. (Sure - charts? Easy/way out?)I will look into sheet pile design.

Thank you for your help.

 

[PSlem]

Look for crib wall design, not sheet pile. The makers of the concrete ones(Criblock) or PT wood (Greenwall) probably have a downloadable software.