# Retaining walls, best to have a footer?



## Antropovsky (Apr 12, 2014)

This upcoming summer I have a job to build a very long retaining wall around a pond. Typically, I dig a trench 12" down, and build up. For a bigger, commercial sized job, would it better for the long term... to have a footing built? 

Thanks.


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

Antropovsky said:


> This upcoming summer I have a job to build a very long retaining wall around a pond. Typically, I dig a trench 12" down, and build up. For a bigger, commercial sized job, would it better for the long term... to have a footing built?
> 
> Thanks.


Walls slide out or tip over. A footer may increase the chance of tipping.


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## illbuildit.dd (Jan 7, 2015)

GettingBy said:


> Walls slide out or tip over. A footer may increase the chance of tipping.


I could see it helping if it's designed properly. Not that I've ever done it, but I could see it. Rebar, piers. ....


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Segmental or sold masonry?


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

It would depend on many factors; your soil conditions, the height of the wall, whether or not there will be any surcharge on the ground side and the degree of hydraulic pressure exerted on it.

Andy.


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## Texas Wax (Jan 16, 2012)

Set in trench vs Grade-Bond Beam vs Footer????

What kind of masonry unit? How tall? What's the supporting capacity of the soil? What kind of soil and how will drainage be accomplished? Any tie backs? .......

What's the standard - normal in your area? Manufacturer recommendations?


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

What kind of material?

I would never make a CMU or concrete wall without a footer.

Most hardscaping type block only requires a crushed stone footer, and I prefer them for retaining walls.


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## mako1 (Sep 1, 2013)

Some good answers here .I would not buid it without but the best thing you can do is check with your local building code department.Your frost line will also help determan this but since you did not list your location it's anyones guess.


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## jomama (Oct 25, 2008)

Whatever the manufacture recommends, and if it's segmental, I doubt it's going to include a concrete footing................


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## concretemasonry (Dec 1, 2006)

Rigid retaining walls do require footings. As per most manufacturer, segmental retaining walls (SRWs) NEVER have concrete footings because they a classified as "flexible" walls that can tolerate movement and do not crack since there is never any mortar.

I have seen 22' high SRW walls with no footings. but they do require some geo-grid fabric layers in the backfill. This is the same irregardless of the frost depth. The "footing" is a strip of well compacted base about 8" thick that is about 12" below grade.

I have also seen 5' high poured retaining walls that had to a total height of 9' tall to get the 4' depth required for the 4' deep frost depth to avoid heaving and cracking that can happen with rigid walls.


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

Over 4' you need engineering on it around here. I assume below that if it cant be figured out on your own you shouldnt be building it.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

SRW in water applications generally require footings, that is the only application I have using them.


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

Dry stone . Durable, no footing. Looks great


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## Builders Inc. (Feb 24, 2015)

If they plan on back filling it make sure to put tie back rods with a shield to help it from blowing out or tilting. Every linear 8' is what we did on wood sea walls, We also lanced down material as deep as the wall was heigh. 6'wall =12' material. I know you don't need a concrete footer 6' deep but one will only help what your doing. I would make it deeper than the frost line like Mako said. I'd add some filter cloth rock and holes for water to drain through the bottom of the wall. If the ground soaks water in it, it will need to weep out. It will only make the ground above the wall a soggy mess, and twice as heavy. In a wood wall the filter cloth will allow water to pass through and come out the cracks in the wood wall. With a block wall it could be achieved with pipes in the wall. I couldn't tell you how big or how many though without soil tests.


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## NJGC (Apr 5, 2014)

What's a "footer"?......


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## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

Whats a footer?
About a 12 inch error....:whistling

Around here any unheated rigid footing(poured crete) needs to be 42" +below grade.
Most quality retaining wall of any height and length have a "french" footing of sorted compacted crushed rock, and tile to daylight, and Geo grid on the taller installations, and plenty of washed rock infill to keep the bank from frost heaving the wall in the winter or fliudising the retained earth in the wet events.

Some state DOTs have a Internet manual. 

A search here will show some big failures.

Get with the manufacturer, they don't want their name under the dirt when your mistake pushes over. They'll tell you when their product needs a PE-Civil engineer. On a big wall I'd call a soil engineer first. Otherwise the number buster has to figure worst case scenario= $$$extra


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## Eddie's Masonry (Feb 7, 2015)

I recommend a footer for long lasting wall especially, if the wall is going to be high. http://www.eddiemasonry.com/


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