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Retaining Walls

Retaining walls can help turn "ordinary" landscaping into amazing work of art. They are easy to build and maintenance free. Retaining walls can be constructied of natural stone, boulders or manufactured stone.

A retaining wall is a structure that holds back soil or rock from a building, structure or area. Retaining walls prevent downslope movement or erosion and provide support for vertical or near-vertical grade changes. Cofferdams and bulkheads, structures that hold back water, are sometimes also considered retaining walls. Retaining walls are generally made of masonry, stone, brick, concrete, vinyl, steel or timber. Once popular as an inexpensive retaining material, railroad ties have fallen out of favor due to environmental concerns.

Segmental retaining walls have gained favor over poured-in-place concrete walls or treated-timber walls. They are more economical, easier to install and more environmentally sound.

The most important consideration in proper design and installation of retaining walls is that the retained material is attempting to move forward and downslope due to gravity. This creates lateral earth pressure behind the wall which depends on the angle of internal friction (phi) and the cohesive strength (c) of the retained material, as well as the direction and magnitude of movement the retaining structure undergoes.

Lateral earth pressures are typically smallest at the top of the wall and increase toward the bottom. Earth pressures will push the wall forward or overturn it if not properly addressed. Also, any groundwater behind the wall that is not dissipated by a drainage system causes an additional horizontal hydrostatic pressure on the wall
Visit our "Retaining Walls" photo gallery to view a sample of our recent retaining wall projects.
Green Scaping
Implementing a Green Scape landscape can save you time, money and protect the environment, by simply putting nature to work in your yard. Rain gardens, using recycled materials, permiable pavers, planting perenial gardens and shrubs and storm water management are all environmentally friendly ways to implement beautiful, long lasting, landscapes.
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Testimonials
"We wish to express our extreme satisfaction with our new garden. The work from start to finish was most professional. In his initial visit, Al Rott spent considerable time going over our plans and making sure that he understood our intent...” more...
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Goodfellows Landscapes, Inc
6845 13th Avenue South
Richfield, MN 55423
e: goodfellowsland@msn.com
p: 651.775.2600
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