Tie backs refer to the application of helical piers to secure your retaining wall. The piers are driven past the failure plain (the black area in the diagram to your right) at the proper bearing to ensure that your retaining wall is secured even when the earth or sand washes out on the inside of the wall due to hurricanes or flooding. 

Most retaining walls fail because flood waters wash out the soil underneath the piles in the retaining wall and wash out the inferior "dead man" anchors customarily used to anchor retaining walls (which are rarely imbedded past the failure plane) . By driving the helical piers/anchors past the failure plane  and then securing the piers/anchors to your retaining wall, the wall has a much better chance of staying in tact against hurricane forces and  flood waters because the piers/anchors are imbedded past the washed out soils and with enough load bearing to sustain your wall against battering forces..

Foundation Repair Solutions has been involved in numerous applications of this process to properties in the panhandle area of Florida during that past two years.

Last modified: February 02, 2007