I was wondering if this is possible. The wall we have designed is very close to an existing retaining wall. In order to properly form and waterproof the wall we would have to demo that existing retaining wall. My idea was to build it off site, waterproof it, and then crane it into its location. Is this possible? any similar methods? thanks
Possible but difficult. You could tell us what the wall is made of? Assuming stone, then you can't lift a stone wall unless you have a steel plate under it, as it will collapse otherwise. That gets complicated. Yes, you could build it with a 1/2 inch steel plate under it, and lift it that way, assuming it is not too long, and crane it into position, but you then have to slide the plate out without cracking the wall, also difficult. The plate is expensive, the crane is expensive. But what do you gain? You still have to demolish the old wall, you still have to build a new one, so what would you gain by building it somewhere else and moving it?
If you use precast concrete sections it can be done. You can even have a decorative side if that is required. You might need to have some form of interlocking connections to tie the whole thing together. Depending on its height there might also be a need for anchors to keep it from trying to tip. Without more very detailed information it is difficult to really answer this question. As an example: depending on the type of soil and the height of the wall it is possible to remove the existing wall and install a new one in a day if you use something like a keystone system.
