# Replace collapsed 4' retaining wall with dirt slope?



## gunner666 (Jul 16, 2014)

This retaining wall is cinder blocks mortared together. A 10 section fell this winter. There's no drainage or gravel and I don't think there's a proper foundation. 

The walls and house are 50+ years old. The house is approx 2K sq ft 2 story with 1K sq ft basement. 

The retaining wall adjacent to the one that partially fell is 4' everywhere but looks plumb and sound, but if I dump dirt as a slope behind the wall that fell, I'll dump dirt behind both walls for support. The one that partially fell has been unplumb about 6" for years I'm guessing, so whatever didn't fall is leaning.

The image shows plus or minus 2' estiamted distances that the walls are from the building. 

Does anyone know if it's not okay for the sake of the house foundation etc to just get dirt dumped behind the retaining wall that partially fell rather than replacing the whole wall or even re building the collapsed part with new block and mortor and leaving it 6" leaning without excavating and adding gravel and drainage? Again, it's only 4 feet max and I would compact the dirt and have it go up to 15' out from the broken wall. 
Also, I was going to put a fence in front of the wall that fell (for safety reasons since it was a 4' ledge), so if I fill it as a dirt slope, would it still require a safety fence? The non-broken plumb wall has a chainlink already.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

The correct answer depends a lot on what is meant with the word "wetlands" at the top of your diagram.


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## Walraven (Jan 24, 2014)

Get an engineer to look at it


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## gunner666 (Jul 16, 2014)

tgeb said:


> The correct answer depends a lot on what is meant with the word "wetlands" at the top of your diagram.


it's not swampy or anything at all, just technically wetlands. The land's pitched downward towards where it says wetlands on the top, hence how the wall on the side is 2' and then 4' at the wetlands corner. 
I think we're just going to dump tons of dirt and put down some grass seed and/or plants that root to help keep the dirt in place, and then not need the safety fence since it'll just be sloped down for like 12 feet and not a 4' cliff.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

gunner666 said:


> it's not swampy or anything at all, just technically wetlands.



Technically....you can get your ass in a lot of trouble filling/adding soil to a wetland area. It falls under Federal jurisdiction typically.

Proceed as you wish, just be aware of the possible consequences....


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

Why not just rebuild the retaining wall.

It seems likely to me from your wonderful diagram that the remaining retaining wall (that rhymes) doesn't have any surcharge on it unless you are not showing/describing the entire thing (which I strongly suspect). But if the area between wall and house is flat or almost so, it is probably not much problem then. 

Unless weather will wash everything out of the breach.

Andy.


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## gunner666 (Jul 16, 2014)

edit


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## brhokel606 (Mar 7, 2014)

You need to update you're profile, because this is a site for pros....

Your posts seem to be a HO looking for advice


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## gunner666 (Jul 16, 2014)

ScipioAfricanus said:


> Why not just rebuild the retaining wall.
> 
> It seems likely to me from your wonderful diagram that the remaining retaining wall (that rhymes) doesn't have any surcharge on it unless you are not showing/describing the entire thing (which I strongly suspect). But if the area between wall and house is flat or almost so, it is probably not much problem then.
> 
> ...


because it's probably 8K+ to remove old walls and build to modern retaining wall standards.

it is pretty level between the house and retaining walls., but water does run to there, I suspect this hash winter we had ice expanded between the wall and earth and collapsed it because there's no gravel or drainage pipe behind the walls.






tgeb said:


> Technically....you can get your ass in a lot of trouble filling/adding soil to a wetland area. It falls under Federal jurisdiction typically.
> 
> Proceed as you wish, just be aware of the possible consequences....


it's the neighbor's wetland and he doesn't care. 
ok, but I'll suggest having an engineer see if dumping soil is okay instead of redoing everything. thanks


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

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