Retaining walls
Reference articles are in English.
A stone retaining wall in Morro Dois Irmãos Park, Rio de Janeiro. Source
Description
A retaining wall holds back earth or creates a change of level. It can use dry stone, mortared stone or another structural system with a stone face. The ground, foundations and movement of water form part of its design.
History
Retaining structures are an established use of stone in terraced landscapes. Dry stone practitioners continue to make walls adapted to local ground and material, including documented work such as Alain Mathieu’s wall at Beaulieu.
Commissioning
The practitioner should receive site levels and information about the ground and loads behind the wall. Responsibility for assessment, drainage and structural design should be clear. Stone selection and finish are developed with those requirements.