Engineered Retaining Walls for Harker Heights, Texas

As a result of several retaining wall failures, the City of Harker Heights, Texas has established new criteria for retaining wall design.  The city has recently codified amendments to the 2006 International Building Code that specifically address retaining walls as follows:

Section 1807.2 “Retaining Walls.”  Amend to read: “Retaining walls two (2) feet and over must be permitted and engineered. Walls used to separate elevations between properties shall be placed on the property line or not closer than six (6) feet to the property line, allowing room to provide a drainage swale that will prevent runoff waters from inundating the adjacent properties. Retaining walls must be constructed of a material that is classified as permanent, i.e., concrete or decorative concrete block; the use of heavy timber is not permitted within ten (10) feet of any property line. Retaining walls shall be designed in accordance with Sections 1808.2.1 through 1807.2.3.  Retaining wall drawings and engineered plans must be site specific.”

EV Studio’s Structural Engineering Department has the experience and expertise to meet these requirements.  We are able to offer cost effective and practical solutions to the site specific structural engineering requirements of Harker Heights.  To date, we have designed numerous retaining walls in Harker Heights using both concrete and decorative concrete block as mentioned above for both residential and commercial applications.