I'm in the process of building a new house and our builder had to install a loose fit rock retaining wall on our lot. They are claiming now that they can't install a sprinkler system on the wall as it would potentially cause the wall to move and collapse.

Does anyone have experience with these types of retaining walls? Is what they are saying true? Is there anything I should ask of them or the company that built the wall?

The builder says I can hand water it, just they won't install any sort of irrigation (which I have already paid for).

Here are a few pictures of the wall

We build retaining walls like this all the time with irrigation on the high side of the wall. The builder is concerned about hydrostatic pressure behind the wall, but if it is constructed properly it wouldn't be a problem. Do a search for retaining wall construction. You should find that there should be gravel behind the wall enveloped in fabric. The fabric keeps soil from mixing with the gravel and the gravel keeps water from building up behind the wall and moving it. I can't tell the height, but the municipalities I work in require engineering if the wall goes over a certain height. I would call b.s. on the builder.

What smokedog said.
From the photos, it looks like they're building it right. My guess is that they forgot to put the irrigation pipes in before they started building the wall and don't want to have to fix the problem.

Ask to see the sealed engineering drawings or a building code or ordinance stating you can't have irrigation up there (I've never heard of such a thing).

quote:

---

Ask to see the sealed engineering drawings

---

Make sure that the builder isn't just slapping it up there (though from the gravel and filter fabric it looks as though they are not). Not properly built that wall WILL be a nightmare when it fails and set you back significantly even assuming that it doesn't destroy anything when it does.

If they won't or can't produce drawings, I'd contact your municipality and get a code enforcement guy out there yesterday.

I'm building outside of the San Antonio city limits so they are able to get away with a lot more stuff from what I gather. I asked the builder for detailed plans and materials used and all he could do is muster up this written response:

quote:

---

Here is an list of materials and building methods we used to construct the stone wall on the left side of your home. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Dry stack
4" perforated drain with sock
solid base layer of rock
pyramid setup
geo-grid behind larger wall
back of wall is filled with gravel / filter rock (3'-6' depending on location)
topsoil at top of wall above gravel

---

The funny thing is after all of this back and forth the sprinkler company installed pipe and sprinkler heads up there. Now it's a game of seeing if he notices and has then rip it out (which would be completely frustrating).

Of course he had them rip the sprinkler heads out. Ugh

[This message has been edited by Aggiebusdriver (edited 12/17/2013 8:14p).]

sounds to me like someone is CTA... (covering their arse...)
If the contractor is afraid the "loose fitting random rock wall" after following the specifications will fail with a sprinkler, what does he think will happen when a gully washer comes along??
Bad decision to begin with unless proper backing (as specified and as noted above) was installed - especially if soil fill is behind the wall and not "bedrock"...
Any retaining wall of meaningful height needs to have tiebacks or riprapped or some kind of barrier behind the wall with a "french drain" of gravel and perforated pipe, with outlets lower than the wall itself, etc. - especially if it is a "loose fitting random rock wall"...
It is probably too late, but the fitted concrete walls being installed on both commercial and residential would have been a better choice - but a per unit cost instead of a dump truck of rock probably was the culprit - but would have fewer headaches and a lot less extra effort to try to avoid failure.
I know if a contractor ripped up my new sprinkler system (...to CHA) I'd be ripping him a new rear end and withholding some payment $$!!

[This message has been edited by Aggie1 (edited 12/18/2013 5:54a).]

Put it on its own zone also. That way you can closely monitor how much water you are putting up there and can turn it off if something starts shifting.

Yep the "own zone" is what I told the builder to do. He kept saying the company that built the wall suggested to not install irrigation on top. Like everyone said it's all CYA on the builder.

I'm considering asking the builder to get something in writing from the builder of the wall stating what it can and can't do and why. Also for any engineering plans that were done to construct the wall (if any exist).

Reasons to not do this is to not have it in writing to not install irrigation up there in case it fails.

Reasons to do it is to force the wall builder to admit its a crappy job or call the builders bluff.

I'm more questioning the safety of the wall now since the logic being used to not put irrigation up there is flawed.

Retaining walls and San Antonio don't mix well. Google Rivermist San Antonio landslide.

quote:

---

Retaining walls and San Antonio don't mix well. Google Rivermist San Antonio landslide.

---

Yeah my inspector was a consultant brought on after the fact to investigate it.

Make sure that thing is built properly or it will cost you serious $$$$ down the road. I'd get a second opinion

quote:

---

Yeah my inspector was a consultant brought on after the fact to investigate it.

---

What did he have to say about it

[This message has been edited by Iluvagland (edited 12/19/2013 8:11a).]

quote:

---

quote:

---

Yeah my inspector was a consultant brought on after the fact to investigate it.

---

What did he have to say about it

[This message has been edited by Iluvagland (edited 12/19/2013 8:11a).]

---

He is going to look at it in person tomorrow afternoon.