Is this retaining wall strong enough for the conditions above?


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Old 04-09-15, 10:30 PM
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Is this retaining wall strong enough for the conditions above?

Wondering if I can have people's thoughts on this retaining wall I'm building. It's a mortared CMU wall with rebar 24" o.c. It's on a slope and it will have a concrete slab and a fence right above the backfill. Above we'll have a combination of foot traffic, outdoor dinning area, outdoor sitting area (with outdoor sectional), etc. Taking that into account, from the drawing does this look like it's a sound and strong enough wall to hold the conditions above? Thanks!!

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Old 04-10-15, 03:17 AM
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The strength of the wall doesn't get calculated by the furniture & how many people are there for dinner. Not being an engineer, I can't tell you if it will hold the pressure against it. Also, where is the rain water going to go? What plans for drainage have you made?
 
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Old 04-10-15, 03:45 AM
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Most of our footings for decks must be continuous as you show, because we can be almost at grade level with our ledger, then go out 12' and be 12' off the ground on a slope. Mountains are tricky. I don't think you will have a vertical problem as it is addressed well. I am like Pulpo, in that the hydraulic pressure of the back fill may prove to be more than the cmu can withstand without deadmen or some means of keeping the wall from splaying outwardly once that pressure is exerted. Only an engineer can really give a final definition with an onsite analysis.
 
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Old 04-10-15, 04:06 AM
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Old 04-12-15, 08:21 PM
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I'd use concrete blocks instead of cinder blocks. They are heavier, and more likely to withstand lateral soil pressure forces. Also, the vertical reinforcing steel should be in one plane, closest to the inside wall face. It does the most good there, in tension, as the wall will be wanting to bend to the outside as soil pushes on it. "Jumping" the mats (from the inside to the outside) as shown in the sketch doesn't accomplish anything. The slab thickness is shown as both 7" and 4"--the former would be overkill, while the latter would be more than adequate.
 
 

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