Over extended periods of time, the wood’s exposure to moisture leads to increased saturation and swelling which weakens its structure and strength. Water is the enemy of all retaining walls, but wood retaining walls are extra susceptible to water damage. The main challenges of building retaining walls with wood railroad ties include: Wood Rotting Over Time Though wood railroad tie were a primary building material for decades, there have been many concerning issues associated with their quality, longevity and disposal. Issues and Challenges of Wood Retaining Walls That said, the cost of upkeep and maintenance to ensure the walls remain in good shape requires significant time and money. The longevity of untreated timber walls is approximately 3 to 5 years, whereas pressure-treated chemicals can help wood ties last approximately 10 years. How long do railroad ties last for retaining walls? This largely depends on wood quality and how well it is maintained. For retaining walls, rows of wood railroad ties are stacked atop each other and staggered to improve the retaining wall’s stability. The wood is connected together and secured with large metal spikes that hold the lengths together. The concept and process of building wooden railroad tracks and wooden retaining walls is extremely similar, having remained nearly unchanged over the decades. They would soon be repurposed for other uses, such as building makeshift retaining walls. Dating back over a century, long and heavy pieces of wood, typically timber, were held together by metal spikes to assemble railroads. Wooden railroad ties got their name as a common material to build and support railway tracks. Cost considerations of precast blocks vs.The advantages of concrete block retaining walls.Issues and challenges of railroad tie retaining walls.How do wood railroad ties differ from engineered concrete block walls?.Let’s examine some big questions and considerations when planning and building retaining walls with concrete blocks compared to railroad ties: From structural and safety standpoints, constructing retaining walls with precast engineered big blocks like MagnumStone are preferred due to the system’s resiliency, versatility and proven capabilities. Retaining walls are valuable investments for landowners, a primary reason why homeowners, developers and designers shy away from building them with wooden railroad ties. There’s few worse or more dangerous scenarios than a retaining wall that quickly deteriorates or fails soon after completion. When choosing these materials, uncompromising strength and long-lasting durability must be top of mind.
That’s why using proper materials to install newly built retaining walls or perform repairs to ageing retaining walls is critical to a property’s safety and structural integrity. The construction of retaining walls has become a necessary component of most residential properties and commercial developments. How MagnumStone Retaining Walls Outperform Wood Railroad Ties Stormwater & Erosion Management Systems.Retaining Wall Design & Analysis Software.