That job on a slope outside Nashville changed my whole approach

We were laying a retaining wall on a steep grade off Old Hickory Blvd and the ground was shifting under us all day. I learned to rough-grade the whole area a day ahead and walk it with a level before even mixing mortar. Anybody else run into ground movement on sloped sites?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jason1mo ago

Disagree with walking it a day ahead. Ground shifts overnight if the weather changes, especially on that kind of slope. I rough grade morning of and check it every few hours while the wall goes up.

the_julia1mo ago

I used to think Jason was right on this one, but I changed my mind after a job in Columbia that slid overnight after a hard rain. We had everything prepped the afternoon before and came back to a mess. Now I rough grade and let it sit at least a night to see if the ground is going to settle or shift before I even touch mortar. It's not just about weather either. Sometimes the soil is wet deeper down and it takes a few hours for it to show up on the surface. Walking it with a level the next morning catches stuff you can't see when the ground is still loose from grading. I'd rather lose a day than have to tear out a wall because it started leaning.