railroad tie retaining walls

[mikes616]

Does anyone know how to create wood railroad tie retaining walls? It seems that it should be simple but isn't. I know the default retaaining wall is concrete. Do I have to create a new wall type? Are there any pre-made railroad tie walls? 6" x 6" or 8" x 8". X5 user. Thanks.

Mark

[moak]

The simplest way would be to change the material and pattern. I'd recommend creating a new wall type as well.

[lbuttery]

also check with your permit office

my GC informed me that railroad ties can't be used for hardscaping in our area
due to the creosote leaching issue

I did create 4 x 4 and 6 x 6 walls using the "general framing" tool
then creating one each and then using the muliple copy tool to place them

Lew

[Joe Carrick]

Several Possibilities:

1. Create a Wall Type using a Railroad Tie Texture (basically a copy of an 8" Concrete Stem Wall)
2. Use an 8" Wall Type with a Transparent Material - Then stack Railroad Tie Symbols.
3. Just stack Railroad Tie Symbols.

Note: I would make a symbol using a Solid 8' long, 6" tall & 8" Deep ( x=8', y=8", z= 6"). Assign a dark wood grain material and convert to Exterior Furnishing Symbol. Set the stretch planes to y=1, z=-1.

Stacking can easily be done using Transform/Replicate. The lengths can be adjusted as needed and by offsetting you can essentially build it just as it would be in real life.

[mikes616]

Thanks, Joe. Just one question re the stretch planes. It looks like there are three options, and for each option, they have yz plane for x, xz plane for y, and xy plane for z. What settings should I make? Everything else worked just fine. Thanks.

Mark

[Joe Carrick]

The stretch planes define where a symbol can be stretched.

For the yz plane you leave it unchecked which means that the symbol will resize uniformly along its x direction.
For the xz plane you set y = 1 which is outside of the symbol (symbol origin is at back/center/bottom) so the symbol will not resize in the y direction.
For the xy plane you set z = -1 which is outside of the symbol (symbol origin is at back/center/bottom) so the symbol will not resize in the z direction.

IOW, you will be able to change the length of the symbol but not the depth or height.

Note: If you wanted to limit the railroad tie so that the length couldn't be changed you would set the yz plane as x = -50 or as x = 50 (outside of the symbol size)

Stretch Planes can be used for much more complex sizing than this - such as limiting the stretching to a range where you want the symbol to be able to be stretched in certain areas and not in others.

[mikes616]

Thanks very much, Joe.

[ebdesign]

Unless you need to interlace the corners like a log home, it can be done w/ a simple 6"/8"thick wall w/ a 6"/8" horizontal material.

[ebdesign]

It just occcurred to me that showing the individual RR ties butted end to end might be important to you. Still very easy w/ walls & a properly defined material. If more detail than that is wanted, individual symbols would be the way to go. If you're gonna use a symbol for each tie, you don't need the invisble walls.

[Joe Carrick]

The reason for using walls with transparent material is to get them to actually act like walls. If this is a true retaining wall then it probably needs to be a wall first.