After Hurricane Irma ripped through northeast Georgia in September of 2017,
downing 15 trees on the property, this retaining wall project was added to
the existing home that was built in 2007. One of the complexities faced in this
project was blending the material of the wall with the previously built home
to make it appear as though the wall had been there all along. The project
site was on the side of a very steep mountain lot, which always presents build
challenges. Luckily, it was not an issue to keep the wall close to the earth cut,
and backfill was easy.

The vision for the project was to have a retaining wall that beautifully tapered
down to ground level, blending in with the natural terrain and allowing enough
space for parking for friends and family at this mountain cottage. This was easy
to execute in the field with Fox Blocks ICFs without compromising the project’s
structural or performance goals. In addition to integrating with the surrounding
landscape, the retaining wall needed to provide drainage, moisture proofing,
and electrical conduits. Fox Blocks ICFs were the perfect structural solution.
Combined with a perfectly matched thin-brick sourced by Speedy Mason,
use of Fox Blocks resulted in a retaining wall that was easily fabricated,
extremely strong, and seamlessly integrated with the existing architecture.

Dallas has expansive soils which require extra attention at the build start. To compensate for this, the foundation features 45 piers that are drilled to the subterranean bedrock. The site also had a significant slope from the east side to the west side of the lot. A large natural stone retaining wall was installed to create an expansive yard for a future pool. In addition to the wall, the rooftop drainage of the Diceman home was deliberate. Downspouts were directed into a french drain with the retaining wall to ensure that soil moisture would not build up in the yard and impact the stability of the retaining wall.

Project Stats

Location: Clarksville, GA
Industry: Specialty Application
Size: 2,556 sq. ft. (Floor)
ICF Use: 360 sq. ft.
Cost: $4,225
Total Construction: 13 weekends
ICF Installation Time: half day

Download the Full Case Study