Birmingham Wall Features

Walls are used in the landscape to either retain grades or create privacy. Walls used to create privacy are actually categorized as fences and are free-standing. These can be made of brick, block, stone, or segmental materials and create different engineering issues than do structural or retaining walls. Structural or retaining walls are used to hold back the earth. The most common methods for building walls are dry stack, segmental and masonry. Dry stack walls are usually stone, old concrete, or Railroad ties. They must have footers and be engineered to suit the project loads. Dry stack materials tend to be less expensive than masonry and should be selected based on architectural and structural needs as well as budget. Segmental walls are a type of dry stack and are made with pre-engineered concrete products. There are many brands, systems, styles and colors. The specifics of a segmental wall should be determined by the needs of the project and are usually engineered. These walls can look very good, but always have a concrete sense about them. Masonry walls are the most expensive and often best looking. Typically, these walls are either block faced with stone, brick or stucco or poured in place concrete. Masonry walls carry the architecture of the residence out into the landscape tying everything together. These walls need to be engineered with substantial concrete footers, rebar and concrete filled voids. All walls shown in this section were designed and built by John Russell Landscape Architect, Inc.