Retaining Wall Tie-backs

A customer contacted us because a large retaining wall attached to the home had separated from the structure and was beginning to lean outward. We prescribed a repair using helical anchor tie-backs. We cored holes in the wall in the location of each anchor to accommodate the solid steel hardware. Using hydraulic drive equipment, we drove each anchor 20 to 30 feet into the hillside above the wall, monitoring torque to ensure they reached strong, load-bearing soil.

The anchors were fitted with hardware to attach to the wall. Each anchor was tensioned to ensure the weight of the wall rests on the anchoring system. When installed using this method, each anchor is rated at a 10,000lb capacity; together, 4 are rated to hold 40,000lbs, significantly more than the force on the retaining wall. Installation of this system resulted in a permanent stabilization of the wall, and our customer can be comfortable knowing they never have to worry about it again.