Improperly constructed foundation walls and retaining walls may become unstable and tilt inward as soil pressure forces them to move.

Foundation walls depend on the connection to the floor framing to resist the earth pressure and maintain stability. The connection of the sill plate to the foundation wall, and the floor joists to the sill plate, is critical in maintaining the stability of the foundation wall. As the pressure of the earth pushes against the outside of the foundation wall, the floor framing provides the resisting force to keep the wall in place. If the floor framing is not properly tied to the foundation wall, or if a framed knee wall has been built on top of the foundation wall, no resisting force is available to resist the pressure of the earth and the foundation wall may move inward.

Retaining walls must have a properly designed and constructed footing or tie back system to maintain stability and prevent overturning of the wall.

Foundation and retaining walls can be stabilized utilizing a tie back system. A tie back is a structural element which extends back into the soil behind the wall. The tie back system must extend beyond the slip plane of the soil to be effective.

The pictures below are examples of a foundation wall and a retaining wall being tied back using a helical anchoring system.