Page 365 - Masonry and Concrete

Retaining Walls
364 CHAPTER TEN

WALL MUST
LEAN TOWARD
EMBANKMENT

FIGURE 10-20
Dry-stack stone retaining wall.

drainage bed. Level the drainage bed with a rake and tamp the gravel
to compact it. Place a layer of landscape filter fabric over the gravel,
then add a 2-in. leveling bed of sand. Getting the base course of units
level is very important to the strength and stability of the wall. Use
wooden stakes, a string, and a line level to maintain the correct ele-
vation. To help assure that the wall slopes evenly from bottom to top,
build a slope gauge by nailing two 1 2s together as shown (Figure
10-21).
Starting at one end of the wall, lay the first course of stones, care-
fully fitting each one, seating it firmly in the sand bed, and following
the string line for elevation. Use the largest stones for the first course,
not only to create a good base, but also to avoid lifting and adjusting
these heavy pieces at higher levels. Dig out under the stones or fill in
under them with soil if necessary to get them to sit flat without wob-

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