A lot has changed in the area of retaining walls and sleepers, with builders and homeowners alike seeking more durable options that don’t rot, attract termites, crack, or require specialist equipment to transport and install.
That option is now available throughout Australia and comes in the form of metal retaining walls and steel sleepers.
How Steel Sleepers are Produced
Steel sleepers are produced using a rolling mill, with steel sheets hot rolled or pressed into the desired shape, such as a rectangle or square. The rolled steel is then cut to the required sleeper length and may undergo a finishing process, such as removing sharp edges, applying a protective coating, painting, or powder coating.
Advantages of Metal Retaining Walls and Steel Sleepers
Metal retaining walls made of steel sleepers offer many advantages over the more old-fashioned options of timber and concrete.
They are five times lighter than concrete and nearly two times lighter than treated pine, making both transport and handling less expensive and less onerous. The steel sleepers can be cut on-site, without producing hazardous dust.
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The finish, produced through hot tip galvanizing, offers potentially decades of use before it needs to be replaced, significantly longer than both treated pine and concrete.
If your site has a steep slope, the lighter weight of steel sleepers makes laying and transporting much easier and with fewer OHS risks.
Not only that, metal retaining walls and steel sleepers are fully recyclable, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.
Finishes Available for Metal Retaining Walls and Steel Sleepers
There is little you can do to change the appearance of concrete sleepers, other than a coat of paint. In contrast, steel sleepers can come in a rustic look if they are left ungalvanized, powder coated after galvanizing, or textured powder coating to match any Colorbond colour. Textured powder coating is also harder to wear and is UV-stabilised.
Matching the colour of your steel sleepers with your Colorbond fence can both improve the aesthetics of your property and create the illusion of a larger size, which is ideal for small spaces.
Steel Sleepers are Even Suitable For DIY-ers
Installing a retaining wall yourself has never been easier than when you use steel sleepers. As the steel sleepers are light weight, you can even install them if you’re a complete DIY novice.
Steel Sleepers are a great Australian-made option for any property.