Bulging/leaning Retaining Wall?

[dsnation]

My front yard has a retaining wall that's about 5 feet high.  I've started to notice that the retaining wall has begun to bulge out towards the top and lean towards the street, which I'm pretty certain is a bad sign.  Anyone know if this is something that can be fixed?  Any recommendations for someone to do the work?
Thanks,

[everettsteele]

Is it a cinder block/concrete wall, or a railroad tie wall? Either way, your footer has either failed, or wasn't built properly in the first place.

Some rebar driven into the ground to support the wall can prevent a collapse in the short term, but I imagine you'll need to replace the entire wall before too much longer. A couple more freeze/thaw cycles and your wall isn't going to be much of a wall.

I can't help on the recommendations, other than you could rent a bobcat and do it yourself if you were so inclined. Not a technically difficult job, but pretty labor intensive.

[J. Grouchy]

Five feet is significant and gets into a lot more 'structural' concerns.  There are several in our area that are pretty tall like that and are leaning quite a bit and have been for years.  Not that you should just ignore it, but I would recommend getting a few opinions before getting any big work done.

A few years back when they put the sidewalk in on the north side of Ormewood Ave in OP, the crews ended up destroying several of the retaining walls butting up against the sidewalk because they dug out the earth and it led to some collapses.  I believe the city ended up having to replace those walls and the people that did the work did a fair job of it.  Shame you can't blame the problem on city workers...

[dsnation]

Is it a cinder block/concrete wall, or a railroad tie wall? Either way, your footer has either failed, or wasn't built properly in the first place.

Some rebar driven into the ground to support the wall can prevent a collapse in the short term, but I imagine you'll need to replace the entire wall before too much longer. A couple more freeze/thaw cycles and your wall isn't going to be much of a wall.

I can't help on the recommendations, other than you could rent a bobcat and do it yourself if you were so inclined. Not a technically difficult job, but pretty labor intensive.

I'm pretty certain it's cinder block & concrete.  I bought almost 2 years ago and I'm 99% certain it was straight at the time.  One on big concerns is a large oak in the front yard.  I'm pretty certain if I did it myself I'd end up killing that tree.

[dsnation]

Five feet is significant and gets into a lot more 'structural' concerns.  There are several in our area that are pretty tall like that and are leaning quite a bit and have been for years.  Not that you should just ignore it, but I would recommend getting a few opinions before getting any big work done.

A few years back when they put the sidewalk in on the north side of Ormewood Ave in OP, the crews ended up destroying several of the retaining walls butting up against the sidewalk because they dug out the earth and it led to some collapses.  I believe the city ended up having to replace those walls and the people that did the work did a fair job of it.  Shame you can't blame the problem on city workers...

I'm certainly going to get more opinions, since I suspect this isn't going to be cheap to fix.  :-(  I wish I could blame this on the city, but I suspect I'd have to blame it on the previous owner, but there's very little chance of recovery there.

[BIER]

if it is just the top of the wall that is being pushed forward you could relieve some of pressure exerted on it by "cutting" the wall in half and terracing back about 4 feet with a smaller wall.   Also, make sure there is proper drainage to keep water from pushing on the backside of the wall (weep holes and perforated pipe that take the water away from the backside)

[dsnation]

if it is just the top of the wall that is being pushed forward you could relieve some of pressure exerted on it by "cutting" the wall in half and terracing back about 4 feet with a smaller wall.   Also, make sure there is proper drainage to keep water from pushing on the backside of the wall (weep holes and perforated pipe that take the water away from the backside)

Thanks.  I think the problem is that they don't seem to have installed any drainage behind the wall.  There's drainage at the top, but not anywhere else.

[J. Grouchy]

if it is just the top of the wall that is being pushed forward you could relieve some of pressure exerted on it by "cutting" the wall in half and terracing back about 4 feet with a smaller wall.   Also, make sure there is proper drainage to keep water from pushing on the backside of the wall (weep holes and perforated pipe that take the water away from the backside)

Thanks.  I think the problem is that they don't seem to have installed any drainage behind the wall.  There's drainage at the top, but not anywhere else.

Replacing the wall is excessive, I think, unless the structure of the wall itself is damaged.  Digging out behind it and installing proper drainage, then providing outlet points through the wall should alleviate the groundwater concerns.  Reinforcing or shoring the wall up may or may not be necessary.  I'm no structural engineer, but I work with several and could run that question by them.  Photos might even help.

[dsnation]

if it is just the top of the wall that is being pushed forward you could relieve some of pressure exerted on it by "cutting" the wall in half and terracing back about 4 feet with a smaller wall.   Also, make sure there is proper drainage to keep water from pushing on the backside of the wall (weep holes and perforated pipe that take the water away from the backside)

Thanks.  I think the problem is that they don't seem to have installed any drainage behind the wall.  There's drainage at the top, but not anywhere else.

Replacing the wall is excessive, I think, unless the structure of the wall itself is damaged.  Digging out behind it and installing proper drainage, then providing outlet points through the wall should alleviate the groundwater concerns.  Reinforcing or shoring the wall up may or may not be necessary.  I'm no structural engineer, but I work with several and could run that question by them.  Photos might even help.

Thanks.  If the weather cooperates this weekend, I'll get some photos.

[Flower Lady]

Is it a cinder block/concrete wall, or a railroad tie wall? Either way, your footer has either failed, or wasn't built properly in the first place.

Some rebar driven into the ground to support the wall can prevent a collapse in the short term, but I imagine you'll need to replace the entire wall before too much longer. A couple more freeze/thaw cycles and your wall isn't going to be much of a wall.

I can't help on the recommendations, other than you could rent a bobcat and do it yourself if you were so inclined. Not a technically difficult job, but pretty labor intensive.

There's a lot more too it than that. You need footers, weep spaces and possibly deadmen.  The best, and I mean really, the very best retaining wall construction I have ever seen was by Awaken landscapes. Absolutely correct in every respect. Not my wall, I do not have any relationship with this company at all. Someone on Metropolitan had them put in a retaining wall and I watched the construction. Fantastic.

[dsnation]

Is it a cinder block/concrete wall, or a railroad tie wall? Either way, your footer has either failed, or wasn't built properly in the first place.

Some rebar driven into the ground to support the wall can prevent a collapse in the short term, but I imagine you'll need to replace the entire wall before too much longer. A couple more freeze/thaw cycles and your wall isn't going to be much of a wall.

I can't help on the recommendations, other than you could rent a bobcat and do it yourself if you were so inclined. Not a technically difficult job, but pretty labor intensive.

There's a lot more too it than that. You need footers, weep spaces and possibly deadmen.  The best, and I mean really, the very best retaining wall construction I have ever seen was by Awaken landscapes. Absolutely correct in every respect. Not my wall, I do not have any relationship with this company at all. Someone on Metropolitan had them put in a retaining wall and I watched the construction. Fantastic.

Thanks, I really appreciate the recommendation.  I have no clue on structural things, so I'm not going to start futzing with it myself since it'd probably just make it worse.

[Jack]

Thanks, I really appreciate the recommendation.  I have no clue on structural things, so I'm not going to start futzing with it myself since it'd probably just make it worse.

That's a good plan. A wall two or three feet high is one thing, but five feet is Serious Business. (I am a civil -- but not structural -- engineer.)