Concrete sleeper retaining walls.

How the system works

Galvanised H posts are set into concrete footings at spacings suited to the height and load. Concrete panels drop between them, and the wall is drained and backfilled from behind as it goes up.

The strength of the wall lives in the footings and the post spacing — not in the panels. That's why footing depth and diameter get worked out for the site rather than copied from the last job.

Where concrete sleepers suit

They handle height and load better than timber, they don't rot, and they hold their line over time when the drainage is right.

• Replacing failed timber walls
• Retaining under driveways and parking
• Boundary walls with load behind
• Longer runs on sloping blocks
• Higher walls where engineering applies
• Sites with vehicle or machinery access

Where they may not be the answer

Concrete sleepers are heavy. On tight sites with no machinery access, handling panels can add significant cost, and a different system may make more sense. We'll tell you if that's the case.

How long do they last?

Well built and properly drained, a concrete sleeper wall is a long-term option. Most failures we see in these walls come back to drainage, footings or load that was never accounted for — not the material itself.

Replacing timber with concrete

Often possible, and a common job around Wollongong. But post spacing, footing depth and drainage all get reassessed rather than reused. The old wall's setout was designed for a different material and, usually, was part of why it failed.