Restore Concrete Retaining Walls

This condominium parking structure wall (left) looks beyond repair in this image from 2010. Forms were necessary for the repair (at right), which was done with Fusion-Crete, sand, and white Portland. The contractor had extra white Portland on hand and the project would be complete when the wall was painted.

This photo, taken in 2020, shows the still-perfect completed project
with paint and guardrails replaced, 10 years later!

Restoring damaged concrete retaining walls presents several problems to be solved, the main one being that the repair is vertical! This means one of two methods with Fusion-Crete: Formless dry pack repair or the use of concrete forms. Read on to see how Fusion-Crete can be employed to restore retaining walls with forms for a long-lasting, economical fix.

REPAIR OF DAMAGED CONCRETE RETAINING WALL IN PARKING AREA

The cause is unknown for the severe damage to the above-pictured retaining wall supporting the parking area at a townhome complex. Medium consistency Fusion-Crete modified mortar restored the concrete retaining wall perfectly.

This repair required form setting. How we did it:

Prep was essential: Workers removed loose concrete with a hammer drill and pressure washer. Rust was removed from the rebar with a wire wheel on a grinder.
4-inch-deep, ¼-inch diameter holes were drilled through the plywood forms with a masonry bit at 12-inch intervals at the feather edge of the repair.
The forms were fastened by driving 16d coated nails into the holes until the nails became jammed. Then the nails were pounded sideways.
2 x 4 lumber was used for stiffening and bracing the forms.
A powered tub mixer was used to prepare the Fusion-Crete modified mortar.
Form-fastening nails were easily removed with a crowbar and the holes filled with Fusion-Crete modified mortar.

The contractor had extra white Portland cement and used it on this repair because the wall was scheduled to be painted (see above center). This example also illustrates that Fusion-Crete can be used with white Portland and various colorants to achieve repair colors other than concrete gray.

The restoration was completed in August 2010 and remains perfectly intact in April 2020!

SEVERE DAMAGE TO CONCRETE RETAINING WALL AT BANK DRIVE-THROUGH TELLER LANE

This bank drive-through retaining wall (above left) was crumbling in 2004. The upper right photo shows the restoration of the concrete retaining wall 10 years later – and check it out in April 2020 (above).

The retaining wall at this bank property was rotted below the alleyway and parking area in several locations, threatening the stability of the wall, the parking lot foundation, and the safety of bank customers.

The damage was quite extensive, and the restoration of the retaining wall required a total of 3.7 cubic yards of Fusion-Crete modified repair mortar.
The repair required form-setting after prep work.
This is an unusual case because the concrete was modified in a concrete truck due to the extensive damage in several areas of the retaining wall.
High-strength Portland cement sand mix was ordered from the local concrete batch plant and Fusion-Crete premix was added to the truck mixing drum at the job site to modify the mortar.

The repair was completed in 2004 and continues in serviceable condition in 2020!

Repairing vertical walls are a challenge Fusion-Crete can help you solve.
Have questions about how we fixed these retaining walls?
We are happy to help! Contact Us.