Retaining Walls

What are Retaining Walls?

• Granular material, such as rocks and soil, generate horizontal pressure that increase linearly with depth. These materials can move down a slope due to gravity and the horizontal pressures

• Retaining walls are design in a way where they push back on the horizontal pressure to keep the granular material in place preventing erosion from happening and creating a level area landscape

Characteristics of Retaining walls 

• Externally Stabilized Walls

  • Which use heavy material on the outside to keep the soil in place

• Internally Stabilized Walls

  • Which makes use of the artificial reinforcements placed in the soil movement to carry tensile loads and carry out soil mass

Key Terminology

1. Angle of Repose

   1. It is the maximum slope, measured from the horizontal in degrees, at which granular material (soil) will remain in place without sliding.
   2. The wall has to support this angle

2. Surcharge

   1. It is any load above the soil line upon earth that the retaining wall is supporting

3. Rear Face

   1. Side of the retaining wall that is facing the soil

4. Front Face

   1. Side of the retaining wall that is facing the atmosphere, it is in the opposite direction of the soil

5. Stem

   1. The inner part of the wall

6. Battered Face

   1. It is the sloped face of the retaining wall

7. Retained Earth

   1. The part of the earth that is being retained by the wall

8. Straight or Vertical Face

   1. It is the most outer part of the wall

9. Drainage Hole

   1. The hole that allows the wall to drain the water

10. Base

    1. It is placed in a whole in the ground to help with fighting the erosion of the soil

11. Heel

    1. Acts as a horizontal cantilever under the combined action weight of the retained earth from the top and

12. Toe

    1. Acts as a cantilever under the action of the soil pressure acting upwards

Additional Readings

Types of Retaining Walls

Wall Failures

Materials Used in Retaining Walls