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Rise Wall is a PVC permanent formwork system for poured, reinforced concrete retaining walls.
Retaining Wall Systems:
Engineered Concrete Retaining Walls
Unlike block and sleeper retaining wall systems, a Rise Wall is poured and reinforced, not stacked. The panels stay in place after the pour, so you get one continuous concrete wall without laying and filling blocks. Send your drawings to check whether Rise Wall suits your wall.
What Is the Rise Wall Retaining Wall System?
The Rise Wall retaining wall system is PVC permanent formwork for building poured, reinforced concrete retaining walls. Permanent formwork is a mould for the concrete that stays in the wall after the pour, instead of being stripped.
Twin skin PVC panels are positioned and connected along the footing. Steel reinforcement is set in the triple reinforcement cradles inside each panel, and concrete is poured into the cavity. The panels remain after the pour, so the retaining wall formwork and the wall surface are the same thing.
That makes a Rise Wall a PVC retaining wall with a structural
concrete core, not a plastic retaining wall made of panels
alone. Its strength comes from the reinforced concrete the
structural engineer designs. The Vinyl Council of Australia explains how
PVC permanent formwork works.
Rise Wall is currently offered for 200mm thick walls. Confirm panel dimensions and availability against your projectdrawings when requesting a quote. For water resistant applications, see Rise Wall Water Resistant;Â waterproofing, joints and drainage are detailed for each project.
Rise Products is an Australian owned and operated business, and Rise Wall was designed by builders for builders. For the full product detail, see our permanent formwork wall system / page, and for other wall types, our Rise Wall applications
It is one of several concrete retaining wall systems on the market, and the one built to stay in the wall. A block wall is laid and filled; a precast wall is craned
in; a Rise Wall is poured in place around reinforcement that is already standing on the footing.
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The smarter retaining wall formwork choice
Rise Wall is a lay flat permanent formwork system built to solve the real cost and program problems of building retaining walls: slow blockwork, high labour, bulky materials, and wasteful sites.
Residential retaining walls
Landscaping, garden, and terrace retaining walls for housing, built faster with less mess on site.
Structural retaining walls
Engineered structural retaining walls for housing developments and load-bearing site work.
Commercial and industrial walls
Commercial retaining walls and industrial retaining walls, including boundary retaining walls for larger sites.
Basement and underground
Water-resistant panels suit basement and underground retaining wall structures. See our basement retaining walls page for that application.
Concrete shuttering
Use Rise Wall as concrete shuttering for in-situ concrete retaining wall construction.
Civil and infrastructure
A practical pvc retaining wall option for civil retaining walls and high-volume infrastructure pours.
Retaining Wall System
Rise Wall Water Resistant
Permanent formwork designed for reinforced concrete wall applications where water resistance and project-specific structural performance are required.
Benefits of One Wall System Across a Project
A Rise Wall gives you one continuous reinforced concrete retaining wall, tied into its footing, with no blocklaying
stage and nothing to strip. Here is what that changes on site.
One poured wall
Concrete fills the panels around the reinforcement, so the wall is reinforced
concrete from end to end rather than a stack of units.
No blocklaying stage
There is no course by course laying before the concrete goes in. Plan the crew and access
equipment for panel installation and the pour.
Lay flat panels
Panels arrive and stack flat, which simplifies transport and storage on a sloping block or a
narrow lot.
Nothing to strip
The PVC skins stay as the face of the wall, so there is no formwork to strip, clean or send back.
Reinforced retaining walls built this way are tied into the footing through the starter bars, so the wall and footing work together. Our guide to core filled blockwork explains how block walls are built by comparison.
Retaining Wall System Features and Specifications
Rise supplies the formwork; the structural engineer designs the wall. The table separates what the Rise Wall retaining wall system is from what each project decides, so you know which questions go to Rise and which go to your engineer.
- Currently offered for 200mm thick walls
- Twin skin PVC, delivered lay flat
- Steel set in triple reinforcement cradles to the engineer’s design
- Set by the structural design: soil conditions, surcharge, footing, reinforcement and drainage
- Engineered footing with starter bars standing on the wall line
- Specified for each site and installed before backfill
- The PVC face remains. Paint, render, tile or cladding is selected and detailed for compatibility with the panel and project
Retaining wall design starts with the soil report and the load behind the wall. Send both with your drawings and the quote will confirm sizes, freight and lead time. If you do not have a design yet, a retaining wall engineer will need the retained height, what sits behind the wall, the soil information and the site boundaries to start.
Why Choose Rise Wall for Concrete Retaining Walls
Rise Products is an Australian owned and operated business, and Rise Wall was designed by builders for builders. That shows in how a job runs:
01
Priced Against Your Drawings
Quotes are prepared from the project information supplied, so pricing is based on the actual wall requirements.
02
Supply for Your Builder or Concreter
Rise supplies the system; installation is arranged by your builder or concreter.
03
Delivery Confirmed Per Order
Availability, freight and lead time are confirmed for your project location and date.
04
Technical Information for Your Engineer
Request the relevant Rise Wall documents for your engineer's review of the wall and footing.
If the wall is one of several on the job, the same system can form basement, load bearing and boundary walls too. See finished walls on our completed projects page.
Which Retaining Walls Rise Wall Suits
Rise Wall can be considered for a retaining wall that is designed as reinforced poured concrete, where safe concrete placement can be arranged. Of the types of retaining walls on the market, it covers concrete retaining walls on homes and structural sites, subject to engineering. The retaining wall is often the first structure built on a sloping site, so it sets the levels for everything after it.
Internal Load Bearing Walls
A load bearing wall carries floor or roof loads down to the footing. That load sets the reinforcement, so the engineer designs bar size and spacing for each wall. A party wall between two homes also has fire performance requirements, which must be confirmed for the specified wall construction. See internal load bearing walls.
Insitu Concrete Walls
In situ concrete walls are poured and cured in their final position on site. This is the general case, and the other seven applications are variations of it. The deciding condition is safe concrete placement access along the wall line. See in situ concrete walls.
External Walls
An external wall is part of the building envelope and faces the weather. With Rise Wall, the PVC formwork remains as the wall face after the pour. The deciding condition is the finish the design calls for, since some specifications require a masonry, rendered or off form concrete look. Any finish must be selected and detailed for compatibility with the panel. See external walls.
Retaining Walls
A retaining wall holds back soil where the ground level changes. Rise Wall can be considered for retaining walls subject to project engineering, forming a poured, reinforced wall tied into an engineered footing. The allowable retained height, footing, reinforcement and drainage depend on the site conditions and design. Read more about retaining walls.
Basement Walls
A basement wall retains soil below ground and has to keep water out of the room behind it. Rise describes basement walls as its “most common application”. The waterproofing, joints and drainage must be detailed for the project; the formwork alone does not keep a room dry. See Rise Wall Water Resistant and our page on basement walls.
Column, Blade Walls and Lift/Stair Shafts
A blade wall is a narrow, deep structural wall that works like a flattened column. Columns, blade walls and shaft walls repeat floor after floor on apartment and commercial buildings. Fire performance must be checked for the specified wall construction, and lift shaft dimensions and tolerances must be agreed with the structural designer and lift supplier before installation. See columns, blade walls and shafts.
Fences, planter boxes and balcony upstands
An upstand is a short concrete wall that rises from a slab edge or balcony. A balcony upstand, planter box or boundary fence is low, but often repeated many times on one project. Suitability for small jobs depends on the wall size, access and installation setup, so send the total wall length, height and access details for assessment. See fences, planter boxes and upstands.
Pits and Tanks
Pits and tanks hold water in, which is the opposite problem to a basement. An on site detention (OSD) tank stores stormwater on a property and releases it slowly into the drainage system. The deciding condition is the water retaining design, since pressure acts from inside the wall. See pits and tanks.
Planning a commercial or industrial retaining wall? Send the design to discuss whether Rise Wall suits the proposed application, and see more on our completed projects page.
How a Rise Wall Retaining Wall Is Built
- Design A structural engineer designs the wall and footing from the soil report, the retained height and any surcharge, meaning extra load behind the wall.
- Footing The engineered footing is poured with starter bars, the vertical bars that tie the wall to its footing, standing on the wall line.
- Panels Lay flat PVC panels are positioned and connected along the footing, over the starter bars, in accordance with the current Rise installation instructions.
- Reinforcement Steel is set in the triple reinforcement cradles to the engineer's design.
- Brace and pour Bracing and pour arrangements follow the installation and engineering requirements. Concrete is placed into the panels and compacted.
- Drainage and backfill The specified drainage and any waterproofing go in before backfilling. Backfill only once the specified strength and support conditions are reached.
Footing, reinforcement and drainage are where retaining walls fail if they are skimped, so each follows the engineer’s drawing. Confirm the required track, connections and bracing, and who supplies them. See the Rise Wall difference for installation photos.
With a block wall, the same job means laying every course before the core fill. With removable formwork, it means stripping, cleaning and returning the forms after the pour. A Rise Wall skips both: the wall is finished when the concrete has cured and the backfill is in.
Types of Retaining Walls: Choosing the Right System
Start from what the wall has to do, then check the item the engineer will ask about first. The types of concrete walls below cover most projects. Use the table as a starting point for the conversation with your engineer, not as a design check.
| Type | How it holds the soil | Often chosen for |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeper wall (timber or concrete) | Sleepers slotted between steel or concrete posts | Low garden level changes |
| Gravity or modular block wall | The mass and setback of stacked unitsl | Landscaping where a stepped look suits |
| Core filled block wall | Blocks laid course by course, then reinforced and filled | Builders with a blocklaying crew on site |
| Precast panel wall | Factory made panels craned into place | Long runs with crane access |
| Rise Wall reinforced concrete wall | Poured, reinforced concrete | Engineered walls where one continuous poured wall suit |
How High a Rise Wall Retaining Wall Can Go
The allowable retained height is determined by the structural design, including soil conditions, surcharge, footing, reinforcement, drainage and the specified wall construction. Retained height is the vertical difference between the ground in front of the wall and the ground behind it. Send the drawings and soil information for a project specific assessment.
Approvals and Engineering
Approval requirements depend on the location and details of the wall. In NSW, some work may qualify as exempt development if all relevant conditions are met; the NSW Planning Portal sets out those conditions. Check with your council or certifier before building. Requirements in other states and territories may differ.
When Another Retaining Wall Method May Suit
- Small garden level changes, where a sleeper wall or blocks may suit.
- Sites where concrete placement access is difficult.
- Designs that call for a stepped or planted face. Our article on modular retaining walls covers where block walls fit.
Retaining Wall Systems FAQs
A retaining wall is a structure that holds back soil where the ground level changes. The main types are sleeper walls, gravity and modular block walls, core filled block walls, precast panels and reinforced poured concrete walls like Rise Wall.
Retaining wall cost depends on length, retained height, ground conditions, surcharge, footing, reinforcement and access. Ask for an itemised quote and check whether excavation, panels, concrete, labour, drainage, waterproofing, delivery and backfill are included. Our blockwork and permanent formwork cost comparison shows how concrete retaining wall cost is built up.
A Rise Wall gets its strength from the reinforced concrete core, which the structural engineer designs for the site.
The PVC panels are the formwork that shapes the wall and holds the steel, not the structure on their own.
A permanent formwork retaining wall system uses panels that stay in place after the concrete is poured and become part of the finished wall. With Rise Wall, the twin skin PVC panels are never stripped and remain as the wall face.
The allowable retained height is determined by the structural design, including soil conditions, surcharge, footing, reinforcement and drainage. Send the drawings and soil information for a project specific assessment.
Many do. Taller walls and walls with a surcharge behind them usually need a retaining wall engineer to design the wall and footing. Have a structural engineer confirm the design, applicable standards and certification for the site.
It depends on the location and details of the wall. In NSW, some work may qualify as exempt development if all conditions are met; other work needs approval. Check with your council or certifier before building. Other states may differ.
A Rise Wall needs an engineered footing with starter bars left standing on the wall line. The engineer designs the footing for the ground and loads, and the starter bar position and spacing must match the drawings.
The specified drainage and any waterproofing are installed before backfilling. The detail is designed for each site, because water trapped behind a retaining wall adds pressure the wall must carry. See our guide to signs a retaining wall is failing.
A modular retaining wall relies on stacked units held by their mass and setback, and a block wall is laid then filled. A Rise Wall is poured and reinforced inside PVC formwork that stays as its face. Compare them in our article on blockwork and lay flat formwork for retaining walls
Rise supplies the Rise Wall system for installation by builders and concreters. Contact the team with your project location to confirm supply and delivery; installation is arranged separately.
Get a Quote for Your Retaining Wall
Send us the wall length and retained height, the engineer’s drawings and soil report if you have them, and a note on site access. We will price your retaining wall against them. Delivery availability, freight and lead times are confirmed for each order. Building in Greater Sydney? See retaining walls in Sydney
1300 205 541 | 72A Willoughby Road, Crows Nest NSW
