one thing I do know, is that the difference between hypertufa and solid cement will dictate the strength of the wall.
I want a retaining wall and know that hypertufa isn't going to give me the strength to withstand dirt backfilled up to it and will eventually give, under the weight and pressure of the dirt..

it'd be best to get ideas and quotes from someone in the business or who ever had had one built, or built it already.

I'll be watching here, for ideas, cuz I want the same thing.

Becky

My advise is to create a traditional reinforced concrete retaining wall, then coat the surface with hypertufa to get the look you like.

The footing of your wall should be below the frost line in your area, and rest on a bed of gravel. at around two feet you might want/need a lip on the bottom to prevent toppling, this makes the wall an "L" shape with the horizontal part in front of the wall (underground if you want).

Also, you should provide for drainage behind the wall. You can construct a french drain and/or use weep holes, and backfill with gravel for about 6" behind the wall. You can put landscape cloth on top of the gravel, and some topsoil on that for planting.

Walls are a lot of work, I've been getting ready to do one myself, and am now considering casting my own bricks instead of doing a solid wall, as it is more forgiving, drainage is not an issue, and a footer is not usually necessary. (Also less costly!)

How tall will the retaining wall be when finished? You should discuss the project with your Town Engineer, who'd be helpful with information. You want to build to last and avoid a wall collapse that may cause injury to people and or property.

Drainage is of the outmost importance! All retaining walls should be outfitted with through-the-wall drain pipes to allow water behind the wall to drain out and away.

Lacking drain pipes through a retaining wall will allow water to build up behind the wall exerting increasingly heavy pressure on the wall. If the water freezes, it will expand and weaken the wall.

Without proper drainage, a wall may collapse, as happened on a large scale in NYC, when a retaining wall collapsed onto the Henry Hudson Drive. Se piture in link.

Here is a link that might be useful: Retaining wall collapse

Thanks for the info. Since my posting I have found the information I need for the specs on a concrete reinforced wall. Will end up facing it with Hypertufa.

Someone just sent me a link to youtube with a 3 part video of a man adding faux stone detailing to a lily pond wall. Thought his technique was interesting. If the link doesn't work go to youtube and search for " making a faux rock wall part 1 "
Disclaimer: I've never tried this so experiment at your own peril! Billie

Here is a link that might be useful: faux rock wall