H Posts with Reo, what are they and why use them?

13 Oct 2021

At QPro concrete sleepers we’re always looking for innovative ideas to make installing concrete sleeper retaining walls easier for our customers. This is why our post range includes the H Post with Reo. Our reo posts are entirely galvanised to prevent the post from rusting (including the reo which is welded to the post).  We utilise N12mm reo bars at the front and N16mm reo bars at the back. We understand that posts are one of the most important components of a concrete sleeper retaining wall and often get asked about the difference between the full steel and the reo post, so we thought we would share more information on the H post with Reo.

Benefits of using a post with reo:

• The posts are lighter, meaning easier installation,
• The post can be installed with correct back-lean without hitting the sides of the boreholes,
• The reinforcement length can be adjusted on site if required, and
• The total area of steel is reduced without reducing the strength of the wall.

Some of our concrete sleeper retaining wall installers are skeptical which leads to the common question “how can reinforcement bars be as strong as full steel beams?”

Mark from Design Sir answers this question:
“When our walls are designed, the retained soil loads the concrete sleeper section of the wall, whilst the pier below gets support by the soil in front of it on the low side. With the soil above trying to push it over and the soil in front holding it in place, we get a cantilever load, which puts the front of our pier in compression and the back side in tension.

As the front half of the pier is in compression and concrete has a high compressive strength, very little steel is needed in the front of the pier. With full size steel posts, the front flange becomes ineffective once it is encased in concrete and the concrete takes over the work. Using reo bars essentially allows us to remove this redundant steel in the front of the pier.

The back half of the pier is in tension and that is where steel is critical. The strength of the concrete beam is determined by the amount and location of the steel. By using steel reinforcement bars we can position the steel more effectively to give the same strength by making the steel work harder.”

Another question we’re often asked is “what sizes are the posts and how much reo is on them?”

For our H posts we work off wall height so essentially you just need to give us this measurement, but we understand that you also need to know the full length which is explored in the table below. Alternatively, the sales team at QPro Concrete Sleepers can assist you with this.

In summary, it comes down to preference of both the installer and engineer, the weight of the post and cost. Contact the sales team today on (07) 3154 6325 if you have any further questions or want to order some for your next project.