# Ever seen a retaining wall built like this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 27, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455 "2008-06-27T16:25:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/1 "2008-06-27T16:25:35Z")
[Basically dry bags of concrete stacked like bricks.](http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20206857_20470640,00.html) Yes this is on a ‘Home inspection Nightmare’ page, but in the comments people say it’s the real deal. And it looks like the lower half ot the wall was made that way. Left out in the weather, and watered, it eventialy hardens and you can pressure wash off the bags. I wonder if there is any adhesion between rows? I’m guessing not. I suppose you could drive short pieces of rebar through the bags. Looks like it would be great for a quick easy retaining wall ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/2 "2008-06-27T17:07:14Z")
Is the lawn going to be regraded up to that level? I’m confused as to what is being retained. If the wall is just sitting on the current ground level and the area behind the wall is backfilled, there’s going to be problems. I suppose he could make it a mechanically stabilized earth wall if he installs some rebar into the wall horizontally, but I’m guessing most people wouldn’t think of that. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/3 "2008-06-27T17:14:30Z")
Not sure if the wall in the picture will actually retain anything. May just be sort of a low fence. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/4 "2008-06-27T17:16:49Z")
[QUOTE=enipla] [Basically dry bags of concrete stacked like bricks.](http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20206857_20470640,00.html) Yes this is on a ‘Home inspection Nightmare’ page, but in the comments people say it’s the real deal. And it looks like the lower half ot the wall was made that way. Left out in the weather, and watered, it eventialy hardens and you can pressure wash off the bags. I wonder if there is any adhesion between rows? I’m guessing not. I suppose you could drive short pieces of rebar through the bags. Looks like it would be great for a quick easy retaining wall [/QUOTE] The comment section on the page you linked has lots of people confirming it’s an effective wall and that “yes” rebar can be pounded down through it. If he washed the paper off in a timely manner, it might look just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/5 "2008-06-27T17:30:12Z")
If they are really doing this, I’m willing to bet that those bags aren’t just cement; that they have sand and aggregates as well as the cement, and are dry concrete mix. Just add rebar and water. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/6 "2008-06-27T17:39:01Z")
I’m particularly fond of the slantwise bag laid over the PVC pipe. WTF? Other than that, the finished wall looks kinda pretty, and cheaper than a stone wall. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/7 "2008-06-27T18:02:09Z")
“Sack-crete” has been used for revetments and headwalls in Mississippi for a long time. It rains so often here that folks sometimes let the rain soak them (rather than applying water). I’ve been under bridges where the pattern of the original bag can be seen on the individual hardened “sacks”. I found specifications for construction of “bag rip-rap” by doing a Google search, so evidently it is still accepted practice. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/8 "2008-06-27T19:04:23Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] “Sack-crete” has been used for revetments and headwalls in Mississippi for a long time. It rains so often here that folks sometimes let the rain soak them (rather than applying water). I’ve been under bridges where the pattern of the original bag can be seen on the individual hardened “sacks”. I found specifications for construction of “bag rip-rap” by doing a Google search, so evidently it is still accepted practice. [/QUOTE] I’ve seen quite a bit of it around San Jose, too. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/9 "2008-06-27T19:11:30Z")
Isn’t it more expensive than buying breeze blocks though? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-seen-a-retaining-wall-built-like-this/454455/10 "2008-06-27T20:24:38Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Isn’t it more expensive than buying breeze blocks though? [/QUOTE] I think the attraction is ease of installation. One supposes that laying blocks takes a bit of masonry skill, as opposed to laying sacks one on top of the other.