There’s a high retaining wall that I drive by on a weekly basis and this wall has an excessive lean on it and I’m still waiting for it to fall.
This is what it looked like back in February of 2007…
This is what it looked like in August of 2009…
This is in Jan of 2010…
This what what it looked like yesterday…
Anyone want to take a wild guess on a fall date?
During the first big freeze of the year. I always bet on water expanding.
David,
When somebody knocks it down would be my guess.
First winter with heavy rain in January. 
Feb. 2014
some of these seem to last for ever while some fall overnight
2015
David
It’s hard to tell from your pictures but it appears that wall is 6’ tall and appears close to a sidewalk or path that could injure or possibly kill someone if it falls. If thats the case I would think it prudent on your part to give the city engineer or some in charge a call and put them on notice. Could save someone from injury or worst.
It will fail when the repair people come to fix it and park their truck too close surcharging the soil and increasing the lateral load
but actually it has in fact already failed
We are talking FALL date…not fail date.
I’m going to start measuring this wall opening.
How about never!!
You being a good person could contact/notify owner of wall and tell them there is a serious risk this wall could fall and injury someone. (Hopefully not a small child or animal) Recommend the wall be replaced.
If not never then how about tomorrow!! You could push on it then run like ****
David,
The municipal was contacted many moons ago and you can see (by my pics of dated movement) that nobody cares.
A bit of tuck pointing and it’ll be good for another couple months.
Back in July of 2010, the opening gap of this wall measured approximately 3 inches from the original placement.
I measured the gap last week and it has moved a whopping 2 inches in 6 months.
I’m thinking that this is the year that this wall will finally fall…
Maybe it will return to it’s former positions after the ground thaws out…
Just a thought.
Just a matter of time and gravity David. Then someone will get all excited. 
It depends how thick the wall is if one uses the 1/3 rule for wall stability…
At it’s current pace of movement, I will say that this wall will become unstable in 2013 that is if the wall is 24 inches thick.
When will it fall, me say any time after it becomes unstable…
This one exceeded the 1/3 rule, but I think it got a little help.
http://askjudith.typepad.com/.a/6a011570698bf4970b01156f864558970c-800wi
And this one exeeds it and has not fallen down.
Design, gravity, restraints of depth of the wall are all factors.
1/3 rule will not work on a retaining wall.
http://www.parmeleegeology.com/failing%20concrete%20wall.JPG
