Retaining Wall Design and Inspection
Retaining wall design and evaluation.
HGS Engineering, PLLC handles retaining walls on both sides of the practice. When an owner or contractor has a wall that has moved, cracked or developed a footing problem, the engineer writes up findings on it anywhere in North Texas.
What Does Retaining Wall Engineering Cover?
A retaining wall holds back soil, manages slope stability and controls drainage at grade changes. A licensed engineer starts from the retained soil: how heavy it is and how it behaves. Next come any loads placed behind the wall, such as structures, vehicles and fill, then the path water takes behind and through the wall, then the building code of the jurisdiction where the wall sits.
HGS Engineering provides two distinct retaining wall services, depending on whether the wall is being built or whether an existing wall needs to be assessed.
- Retaining wall design. The engineer produces sealed plans specifying the wall type, footing dimensions, reinforcement, drainage provisions and any special requirements for the site conditions found.
- Retaining wall evaluation. An existing wall that is leaning, cracking or showing signs of footing failure needs a forensic look before repair. The engineer documents the conditions observed, identifies the probable cause and provides findings in a written report. Evaluation work covers North Texas.
- Various wall types. HGS Engineering works with the wall type that fits the site: concrete block, poured concrete, timber, gabion and other systems.
Retaining Wall Design in Dallas-Fort Worth
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex presents specific conditions for retaining wall engineering. The expansive clay soils common across North Texas shift seasonally with moisture content, which affects both the lateral pressure a wall must carry and the stability of the footing beneath it. A wall designed for a sand-based soil profile in another region may not perform the same way in the DFW Metroplex without adjustments to the footing depth, drainage provisions and reinforcement.
HGS Engineering is based in Arlington, Texas, at the center of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Design projects cover the full DFW area. The firm works with general contractors on new residential and commercial builds, with land developers who need permitted retaining structures for graded sites, with homeowners who have a wall that needs replacement or a new wall that requires sealed plans, and with municipalities who require a licensed engineer's drawings for public right-of-way work.
For a fee quote on a wall in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, write to projects@hgsengineering.com.
Related Engineering Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Need a retaining wall design engineer in the DFW area, who should I call?
Call HGS Engineering, PLLC. The firm seals retaining wall designs for builders and property owners. Email projects@hgsengineering.com with the wall type, site conditions and permit requirements for your project.
What types of retaining walls does HGS Engineering design?
HGS Engineering designs retaining walls across multiple wall types including segmental concrete block, poured concrete, timber and gabion systems. HGS selects the type that fits the site, not the one that is easiest to specify.
When does a retaining wall project require a permit in Texas?
Rules differ by city and county in Texas. Most want a building permit and sealed engineering plans once a wall passes a set height, commonly four feet measured from the bottom of the footing. Some set a lower height, or ask for a permit on any wall that holds back a slope or carries a surcharge load. HGS Engineering works out which rule applies while it designs the wall.
How much does retaining wall engineering cost in Texas?
HGS Engineering does not publish a fixed design fee because the scope varies with wall height, wall length, soil conditions, and the number of wall types evaluated.
From the Blog
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Sources
- International Code Council, 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 4 Foundations (Section R404.4)The 48-inch unbalanced fill threshold and the stability checks for retaining walls.
- Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, Engineering Firm RegistrationThe firm registration number and the licensed engineer seal.
- Texas Section, American Society of Civil Engineers, Guidelines for the Evaluation and Repair of Residential Foundations, Version 3Foundation evaluation practice, drainage away from the foundation and North Texas soil movement.