Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Need advice on retaining wall

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diyalaska
02-01-09, 04:55 PM
I have an existing retaining wall made out of railroad ties and is about 24 inches high. It is not very appealing and would like to replace the ties with large red garden bricks. How can I replace the ties with brick?

Concretemasonry
02-01-09, 07:13 PM
As you have found, timbers may not be very stable unless precautions are taken during construction.

Red garden brick may be not more stable.

Look at retaining wall block (Allan block, Anchor block, Keystone or Versalok). Each product line has a good web site with examples and ideas. Tthey are made in every state and many different countries. They were all developed in cold climates (-30F).
Wirepuller38
02-02-09, 07:32 AM
Here is what we did (only showing a small section; we actually used 260 blocks along portions of the upper side of an 80 foot driveway).

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb137/KStout7121/Retaining_Wall/DSCF0390.jpg

The most important thing we found was that every block in the first row needs to be perfectly level. These are 5 inches high each and almost 12 inches wide. Sorry about the mess. We have not done spring clean up. Good luck with your project.