Page 366 - Masonry and Concrete

Retaining Walls
RETAINING WALLS
365

8"

36"

2"

BATTER 2" FOR EVERY FOOT IN HEIGHT FOR DRY-STACK STONE RETAINING WALLS
FIGURE 10-21

Slope gauge for battering dry-stack stone walls 2″ for every foot of height.

bling. Pack the spaces between stones in this first course with soil to
give the wall a more stable base. Set the next few courses of stone on
top of the first, making sure that the stones tilt in toward the earth and
not outward toward the face of the wall. This will provide the stabil-
ity needed to keep the soil from pushing the wall over. After the first
few courses of stone are laid, begin adding the gravel drainage back-
fill behind the wall (Figure 10-22). Use the slope gauge to make sure
that the wall tapers correctly from bottom to top (Figure 10-23). Set
the remaining courses of stone in the same manner, installing long
stones that stick back into the backfill about every 4 ft. in each course
(Figure 10-24). Fill around these “bond” stones with the gravel back-
fill.
Carefully select each stone for the best fit, choosing stones that
need a minimum number of shims. Check the fit of each stone as you
lay it. Trim and cut as necessary for shaping using a mason’s hammer
or chisel. If a stone wobbles on a point or sharp corner, shape it to sit
more securely. Check your work periodically with a mason’s level to

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