Concrete has long been the go-to material for those who want to take on a construction project. Concrete's popularity is for good reason because few materials can live up to its standards when it comes to practicality and visual appeal. The practicality bit is the reason many people prefer to use concrete for making barrier walls. The barrier walls are robust walls made from precast or fresh concrete made and poured on the site. These barrier walls have reinforcements such as K-rails to ensure that they have adequate strength to divert water and debris flow from more habitable structures. The following discussion will teach you all the facts you need to know about concrete barrier walls:
Why Do You Need Barrier Walls?
When you invest in a real estate project, you need to take all measures to protect the structure from harmful elements such as floods. The barrier works with other features of the drainage system to divert floodwater and strong winds from reaching other structures. Other diversion channels also come in handy to divert the debris from reaching other areas. Barrier walls can be quite costly to build depending on the size, reinforcing and the constituent materials used. However, you can count on them to serve you for several decades with minimal maintenance. The installation of the wall is manageable with heavy construction equipment.
What Is the Installation Process?
Barrier walls are a product of reinforced concrete. You can use ready-made concrete blocks as long as ten feet and weighing more than two tonnes. The other alternative is preparing the concrete mixture and laying it over the reinforcements. Usually, the process of building the barrier wall will involve:
- Choosing the Treating Area – The treatment area is the place you want to build the barrier wall. Choose a location that is effective at redirecting the flow of floodwater and debris rather than one that encourages damming of the debris and floodwater. The idea is to maintain the flow of the floodwater and debris rather than stopping it.
- Preparing the Site – Start by clearing the vegetation in the area where you want to build the wall. Remove all debris from the area so that the concrete material makes full contact with the base. Your best bet here is to carry out some light grading.
- Place the Barrier Wall – Placing the barrier wall starts with setting the concrete end to end along the desired alignment of the wall. Steel pipes and rods come into play to connect the various sections of the concrete, guaranteeing strength at each joint. The steel components cast into the concrete and extend into the ground for maximum strength. Place at least five inches of soil around the base to keep water from hitting forcefully into the base when the curing process is ongoing.
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