Railways Sleepers For Soil Retention

If an existing Garden fence is being replaced, it is very common to find that the soil has migrated against the existing fence and in an established garden, this is often difficult to re-level successfully, therefore this change of level will need to be incorporated within the new garden fence design.

For depths up to 150mm the best way to do this is to add an additional gravel board beneath the fence panels or beneath the gravel board of traditional closeboard fencing. Remember to allow additional length for the posts and also longer centre stumps for closeboard fencing.

This forms a naturally attractive palisade style of soil retention ideal for use in garden projects and landscaping. The diameter of the posts may vary, 100mm being a common size. When using this size it is also easy to calculate that you will then require 10 verticals for each 1m run of retaining wall. This type of retaining wall can be time consuming to erect particularly if laid out in curves which it is very good for. It is normal to concrete the bottoms of these posts into a trench foundation using lengths of timber nailed temporarily into place for support and strutting.

Fence Posts for this type of work are frequently unpointed but we would recommend pointed posts are used if the ground allows. These are driven part way into the ground in the bottom of the foundation trench as this holds the bottom of the posts in line while concrete is placed around them. 450mm of concrete gravel board beneath 1.83m fence panels. 600mm high concrete gravel board.

These are only usually used in conjunction with concrete fence posts. They are not designed to hold soil, as in fact over their full length they are very flexible and easily damaged. There are three fixing points along their length, they are holed in the mid position enabling an M8 x 80mm coach screw or a M8 x 120mm roofing bolt to be connected to the centre stump. They are slotted at each end for connection to the post cleat with M8 x 80mm roofing bolts, a large round penny washer is required at each end to support the bolt head.

Sloping ground is a problem with concrete gravel boards because each end will need to be cut with a disc cutter which is time consuming. Remember, also with concrete gravel boards, the spacing of the posts is very important and a timber spacershould be made up to represent the gravel board ensuring that the fence posts are correctly spaced apart during the erection of the framework.

There is no limit to the way these can be used for soil retention. They can be used horizontally with vertical supporting members, they can be used horizontally between pairs of railway sleepers set vertically or can be used horizontally with steel universal column posts.

Another option is to cut the railway sleepers into lengths and use them vertically as a palisade fence with the vertical railway sleepers set side by side. The resulting structure can be left as a natural finish so that it looks like railway sleepers, or the face of the retaining structure can be clad with a layer of timber closeboard fencing or similar to tidy up the appearance.

This system offers faster erection with easier future maintenance. Steel universal columns of 152 x 152mm are erected at suitable centres, possibly 2.4m, then 125mm diameter machine rounded timbers are then dropped into the slots in these columns and laid horizontally.

The steel fence posts can be clad with timber so that there is no clash of differing material types. It is recommended that each horizontal is fixed at the centre to the one below it with a screw or a bolt. Timberlok landscape screws are ideal for this.

 

 

 

When planning a soil retaining structure it is very important to allow for drainage for two reasons. The see page of water through the structure will discolour it. The build up of water may add pressure behind the structure causing it to fail. It is quite normal to consider placing a membrane behind the structure to prevent soil and gravel particles passing through any small gaps.

It is also common, to back fill immediately behind the structure with pea shingle to aid drainage. This should ensure that any water is able to pass out at the base of the structure. Provision for this drainage may be required. Horizontal log retaining wall set in Steel universal columns. 375mm high log roll used to retain a flower bed

Ideal for small differences in level not exceeding approximately 150mm. It can also be used to edge lawns,borders and paths. It adds a finishing touch to garden landscaping projects. Available pre-assembled in 1.83m long rolls in heights of 150mm,225mm, 300mm, 375mm.

AVS Fencing Supplies Limited cannot be held responsible for the failure of any structure or the materials involved within it. We are unable to give advice on loadings. In the case of doubt, a structural engineer should be consulted.