Timber retaining walls at soil/water interface

[Marty Bonnar]

Not many of them this side of the pond. What’s the construction detail for them? Expected lifespan? Most suitable timber species? Specialist Contractors?
Cheers,
F.

[Tom_Doak]

Marty:


The club historian at Crooked Stick told me the reason Pete Dye used so many railroad ties early in his career was that the largest supplier of them in the country was a member there, and gave Pete the reject ties for practically nothing!


They also had the largest supplier of creosote, which is pretty nasty environmentally, but which allows them to be half submerged for quite a long time before they rot.

[Philippe Binette]

Wood and water isn’t a great duo on the long term.
If you want to built a retaining wall like at sawgrass, i’d recommand using recycled plastic timber
See hahnplastics.com as a supplier.. it’s a great alternative and could last more than 100 years!!

[Steve Lang]

   I had to deal with coal tar losses/cleanup once at a coal/coke plant and remember that creosote from coal tar distillation got a bad rap as being a possible human carcinogen, really from the way they tested it on lab rats, versus human exposure data.   As coal or wood tar creosote not a listed hazardous waste, the client sent contaminated soils and waste to an industrial, non-hazardous waste landfill.  However, I wouldn't stand downwind of any burning railroad ties if I were you, some of the volatiles are nasty!   

[Adam Lawrence]

EcoBunker has a lake edge product called Aqua Edge. One can obviously have one's own view about the use of recycled artificial turf on golf courses generally, but it certainly works.

[Anthony_Nysse]

25-30 years is fair.


In 2016, we installed a full bulkhead wall down the right of #17 at Old Marsh.  Replaced the original bulkheads on #3, #14, #9/#18. # 5 was installed in 2012, #7 was installed in 2013, #8 was done in 2004 along with #16.


They are exactly the same built as TPC. They are installed under the water line X amount of feet and anchored in the the adjacent soil about 6'.

[David_Tepper]

Plenty of timber at Royal North Devon!

https://www.google.com/search?q=royal+north+devon+bunker+photos&client=firefox-b-1-d&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=u0RmQ5GEH9tSWM%252CjPGQKKthd8rBcM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTKDLXDE-Gk5ru5XjZUePgZw2Hz_g&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiN-IacgKvvAhUOFjQIHSGlAb8Q9QF6BAgLEAE#imgrc=u0RmQ5GEH9tSWM

[Thomas Dai]

Railway sleepers, pretty commonly used in the U.K. The close proximity of many coastal railway lines to links courses might have had something to do with it. Similarly the use of driftwood, even ‘new’ driftwood under seaborne transportation, plankage, pallets etc washed up etc on beaches adjacent to links courses.
Atb

[JJShanley]

25-30 years is fair.


In 2016, we installed a full bulkhead wall down the right of #17 at Old Marsh.  Replaced the original bulkheads on #3, #14, #9/#18. # 5 was installed in 2012, #7 was installed in 2013, #8 was done in 2004 along with #16.


They are exactly the same built as TPC. They are installed under the water line X amount of feet and anchored in the the adjacent soil about 6'.

I assume that, with a lifespan of 20-30 years, there's no benefit to using the "wood" made of milk jugs that's used for garden furniture. ("Polywood" has a 20 year warranty from what I can see.) I was looking at Adirondack chairs a few days ago as I miss having one.

[Marty Bonnar]

25-30 years is fair.


In 2016, we installed a full bulkhead wall down the right of #17 at Old Marsh.  Replaced the original bulkheads on #3, #14, #9/#18. # 5 was installed in 2012, #7 was installed in 2013, #8 was done in 2004 along with #16.


They are exactly the same built as TPC. They are installed under the water line X amount of feet and anchored in the the adjacent soil about 6'.

Ah, Anthony,
So there’s no foundations as such. They’re just ‘pinned’ back into the retained soil?
I had wondered if they perhaps were driven in like piles.
Nice detail.
F.

[Anthony_Nysse]

25-30 years is fair.


In 2016, we installed a full bulkhead wall down the right of #17 at Old Marsh.  Replaced the original bulkheads on #3, #14, #9/#18. # 5 was installed in 2012, #7 was installed in 2013, #8 was done in 2004 along with #16.


They are exactly the same built as TPC. They are installed under the water line X amount of feet and anchored in the the adjacent soil about 6'.

Ah, Anthony,
So there’s no foundations as such. They’re just ‘pinned’ back into the retained soil?
I had wondered if they perhaps were driven in like piles.
Nice detail.
F.

The ones I have been a part of building, do not have a foundation in the sense of a cement footer. They are inserted into the soil of the pond edge & secured.

[Marty Bonnar]

Thanks, Anthony.
Do you have any construction photos at all? I’d be very interested to see!
Cheers,
F.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Thanks, Anthony.
Do you have any construction photos at all? I’d be very interested to see!
Cheers,
F.

We did weekly videos of the renovation in 2016. If your forward to 2:20, you can see them installing the retaining wall on #9/18


https://youtu.be/OB9zbS54KDc

[Marty Bonnar]

Brilliant stuff - thanks!
Definitely driven in like piles though!
Cheers,
F.

[Mike_Young]

This site should answer most questions:   http://www.americanpoleandtimber.com/wp-content/uploads/aquatic-wetland-construction.pdf

[Marty Bonnar]

This site should answer most questions:   http://www.americanpoleandtimber.com/wp-content/uploads/aquatic-wetland-construction.pdf

Thanks, Mike. That was some seriously good reading for us ‘detail saddos’!
Cheers,
F.