Concrete Retaining Wall Sleepers from Stone Directions

Stone Directions' concrete railway sleepers have been engineer designed to ensure that your retaining wall is a durable long term structure, however, certain construction and design considerations need to be observed;

Sleeper posts must be placed in a concrete footing. Compacted soil is not sufficient.

Only one post per join in sleepers is needed on straight walls or internal corners. External corners need 2 posts at 90 degrees to each other.

The bottom sleeper should be supported by the concrete foundation at each post to prevent the sleepers from settling unevenly.

The sleepers have not been designed to take a surcharge load on the ground at the top of the wall. Examples of surcharges are steeply sloping ground, above ground swimming pools, cars and concrete slabs.

Stone Directions sleepers have been designed to take the loads present in a typical retaining wall application. They should not be used in other ways such as cantilevers or as bridges. They can be laid flat on the ground as paving.

Walls can be built in a terraced fashion providing the distance between the walls is at least equal to the height of the lower wall.

It is essential that a drainage layer is installed behind retaining walls to prevent the build-up of hydrostatic pressure which can cause a wall to lean or even fail.

Stone Directions sleepers should not be used in a salt water environment or where salt water spray is prevalent.

Where a fence is built on top of a wall it is preferable for the posts to be placed behind the sleeper posts rather than in the middle of the horizontal sleepers.

The standard post lengths are suitable for average ground conditions. However, because of the variability of different sites it is the purchaser's responsibility to determine the suitability of standard posts for their particular site conditions. If the purchaser is in doubt they should seek the advice of a qualified engineer. Stone Directions accepts no liability for damage (either consequential or otherwise) which may occur as a result of using these standard posts or of adopting the standard footing details.

Non-standard posts are available up to 1800 long.

Suggested standard footing details and construction drawings are available on placement of an order.