Retaining Wall Design

Understanding the soil mechanics of retaining walls

2025-10-22T05:01:02.997-07:00

Retaining Wall Modelling in SAP2000

2025-08-14T04:02:00.000-07:00

How to Input Geographic location in Autocad Civil3D | How to insert Google eart...

2023-06-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Estimated Earth Pressures on Cut and Cover Sidewalls

2016-12-08T01:38:00.004-08:00

Basic Roadway Design in #Civil3D

2016-11-21T01:28:00.000-08:00

AutoCAD shortcuts

2016-11-07T00:05:00.001-08:00

WATCH: Retaining Wall collapses on construction site in Turkey

2016-10-06T09:11:00.001-07:00

Virtual Dam Failure and Fun with Water

2016-03-12T06:13:00.001-08:00

Useful tool for reinforced concrete bars...

2015-02-26T03:52:00.004-08:00

Post by Retaining Wall Design.

PDF-Presentations on designing retaining walls

2013-11-28T05:00:00.002-08:00

-Seepage behind retaining walls and drainage solutions( available here )

-Earth Pressure and Retaining Wall Design (you can acces the pdf - here )

-Welded Mesh Gabions Retaining Wall Design Guide (you can acces the pdf - here )

-Designing Retaining Walls after Eurocodes(you can acces the pdf-here )

-Segmental Retaining Walls Design(available here )

-Design Theory and sample projects(available here )

-Prevent failure of Retaining Walls (available here )

-Seismic design of Retaining Walls( available here )

-Timber retaining walls design for residential application( available here )

-Design of Brickwork Retaining Walls( available here )

-Concrete retaining walls applications( available here )

-NUMERICAL MODELLING OF SEISMIC BEHAVIOUR OF
EARTH-RETAINING WALLS( available here )

-Reinforced Soil Retaining Walls-Design and Construction( available here )

-Geotechnical Guide to design a retaining wall( available here ) .

Estimating Lateral Earth Pressures

2013-10-01T05:07:00.004-07:00

Lateral earthpressures by sivakugan from Andre Az

Slideshow-Design of Cantilever Retaining Walls

2013-10-01T04:46:00.000-07:00

Design of retaining wall from RIZWAN KHURRAM

Choosing the right software for your retaining wall analysis problems

2013-07-12T13:33:00.001-07:00

Data needed to perform structural calculations concerning retaining walls

2013-07-09T03:37:00.001-07:00

For every structural calculation related to retaining walls some minimal data are needed from a geotechnical design report such as:

y-unit weight of the soil behind and in front and at the base of the future wall [SI]=kN/m³;
Ø-angles of friction of the soils mentioned above [SI]=deg;
c_u –undrained cohesion strength which is defined as the soil’s interior strength besides its own weight [SI]=kN/m²

With these values known or determined (depending on the ground investigation report) the stuctural engineer can perform basic calculations in order to determine :

Ka-active earth pressure coefficient =>Pa-active earth pressure that will act on the future wall

Kp-passive earth pressure coefficient =>Pp-passive earth pressure that will act on the future wall

(for a detailed presentation on how to proper estimate those coefficients click here or go to the Terms Explanation Post and/or for an automated solution here ! )

and then by proper dimensioning the wall(or even area of reinforcement if needed depending on the type of the wall ) the following design checks can be performed:

overall failure of the ground containing the wall
failure of the wall by sliding
failure of the wall by toppling
bearing failure of the ground beneath the wall
structural failure of the wall .

Note:more details on the subjects described above can be accesed by clicking here and following the chapter 9 of the document!

Complete resume of analysis and design of a retaining wall

2013-07-08T00:28:00.001-07:00

Creating a retaining wall subassembly in Autocad Civil 3D

2013-07-08T00:18:00.001-07:00

Gabion Walls used for structural purposes in residential project

2013-06-09T01:19:00.002-07:00

In the pictures below you can see a truly inspiring example on how gabions can be integrated in the structural design of a residential project, that enroled the arhitect for a prestigious design prize:

Gabions used for house&landscape design

2013-01-26T08:04:00.004-08:00

--> Retaining walls can give your landscape more than extra useable space,a grat way to achieve a thriving garden filled with your favorite vegetation and/or shruberry, gabions retaining walls are the most suited for your landscape arhitecture and the results can be spectacular from upraised gardens with planters to in-wall seating for around the patio or pool.Their main advantage is that they can be filled with rubble stone or any other material even bricks so that they can integrate very well in your desired landscape design and your favorite vegetation can grow on them and improve the overall design.
Below are some samples of what can be achieved following those guidelines:

Traditional Landscape design by Portland Photographer Grounds by Design - Fine Landscapes

Reinforced concrete design of a cantilever retaining wall

2012-09-12T02:03:00.004-07:00

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In order to proper design the reinforcing of a cantilever retaining wall we recommend studying the example that you can acces here and follow the design steps calculation needed to perform this task .
Note that at the end you shouldn't have more than 3-4 marks of rebars and the designed diameter of the rebars should be with a difference of min. 4mm on the same design strength(because the rebar configuration tends to be confusing for the simple worker) ,also you should check for the design code needed for your country as the example is made after ACI 318-05 that can be used for U.S.A soil terrain.
At the end of the design you should have a complete rebar configuration that can be viewed in the image bellow:

For a quick estimation of the rebar configuration you can try using the following application by clicking here .

Gravity retaining wall designs-Concrete elevation

2012-06-30T12:45:00.001-07:00

Retaining wall solutions in seismic areas

2012-06-27T08:59:00.001-07:00

Although sometimes the real behaviour in earthquake time of different soils can be hard to estimate accurately there are some measures that can be taken that could ensure a long term efficiency of retaining walls.
For this we can take notes from a case study of a road embankment along a river side in an important sesismic area that was designed with a cantilever reinforced concrete retaining wall at the bottom and gabions along the clear path of the embakment to protect the road's embakment for high waters and also sesimic activities ensuring that the road will last the period of time it was designed for and can sustain high traffic loads in any conditions.

A few details of the design can be visualised more accurately from the typical cross section below:

Retaining wall clasification after the used material

2011-10-12T08:14:00.003-07:00

Using the material as criteria for a clasification we have the following retaining wall types:

Lumber retaining wall,type of wall that can be also:

anchored :-very popular due to instalation ease and lower material cost

-can be easily manufactured using recycled timber from an old structure framing

-is commenly used in lanscape areas
-the required length and spacing both vertical and horizontal of the anchors are calculated based upon the wall height,lateral earth pressure and surcharge loading
-the anchors("deadmen") are attached to the face timbers by spices and/or drift pins

2. crib-wall: -very similar to the anchored lumber retaining wall in terms of ease and lower material cost and technique of assembly( members attached together by means of spikes and/or drift pins);

-better suited for areas where adequate space is not available or where the imposed loads are expected to be greater.
- is constructed as an interconnected box with all sections working together to support the intended loads.

-also commonly used in landscaped areas.

3.wall-post and lagging-made of wooden posts and wooden laggings;
-the posts can be installed with a footing depth depending of the nature of the soil(even without a footing);
- specially suitable when space and time (very fast construction needed) constraints are present;

- can be also used as a wind barrier .

-an example of a study case calculation for such a structure can be accesed here !

Steel retaining wall,such as:

1.cantilever sheet pile:-where STEEL SHEETS are used as vertical members embedded into the ground to resist lateral soil pressure through cantilever action;

-usually used to retain noncoeziv soils as sand and gravel.

2.steel soldier pile with concrete or lumber lagging:-build with vertical I-SECTION STEEL POSTS embedded into the ground at regular spacings and horizontal CONCRETE/LUMBER LAGGINGS are placed between the steel plange members to retain soil.

3.anchored steel sheet pile-where STEEL SHEETS are used as vertical members embedded into the ground to resist lateral soil pressure through cantilever action,but they are also pinned using cables or other stays wich are anchored into the rock or the soil behind it.

4.anchored steel soldier pile-similar to the anchored steel sheet pile but insted of the steel sheets are used soldier pile.

Concrete retaining wall such as:

1.cantilever-constructed of reinforced concrete and it supports backfill soil by a cantilever action;

-the cantilevered stem portion is fixed at the bottom and is free at the top;

-the base slab serves as a fixed support and prevents against sliding and overturning;

-there is an option to install a key at the bottom of the base slab to ensure further safety against sliding;

-these walls provide prolonged durability and serviceability;

-they are widely used due to their ease in construction and cost-effectiveness.

- for an in depth analysis on how to proper design such a wall click here or here !

2.gravity:

-is constructed using mass concrete placement and generally without reinforcement,but sometimes with a slight reinforcement placed where the concrete is porred in different stages;

-the support of backfill and other imposed loads on these walls is provided by the sheer weight of the unit,is wide at the base and it tapers towards the top;

-the overturning moment acting on this type of wall is counter-balanced by the resisting moment on account of the self-weight of the wall.

3.crib-wall:

- is an assemblage of individual concrete members of particular standard sizes,is generally used for lower backfill heights, in areas where horizontal space is limited, and where foundation excavations are more difficult( can be constructed at multiple heights along any cross-section)

-the strong interlocking feature between individual crib members provides good stability to the overall structure;

-the positive drainage of water from the backfill material through the gaps between members alleviates the need for a separate drainage system,but the minimum construction time, cost-effectiveness and less embedment depth make this type of wall popular for many different applications.

4.butressed-(reinforced/unreinforced):
-is a special type of Cantilever Retaining Wall with additional support in the form of buttress which are perpendicular to the retaining wall and are monolithic with the structure;
-is usually used against heavy lateral loads,it can support a greater height of backfill;
-depending on the height of the backfill and possibility of surcharge and/or possible seismic activities some reinforcement can be added to increase its structural strength.

Masonry retaining wall such as:

1.reinforced cantilever:
-this type of retaining wall assembly mainly consists of standard masonry blocks reinforced with steel and a core of concrete;
-these walls are similar to concrete cantilever retaining walls in shape and also behave in much the same manner.

-for a in depth presentation on how to proper design such a wall please follow this link

2.mass block segmental gravity retaining wall:
-is constructed from interlocking, dry-stacked (without mortar), precast block elements of standard shapes and dimensions, which are arranged in a running bond configuration;
-it resist destabilizing forces due to retained soils solely through the self-weight and embedment of the block elements so there for this wall is used for relatively low-height walls.

3.mass block retaining wall reinforced-
-this type of retaining wall consists of precast block elements of standard shapes and dimensions with interior holes which act as keys ensures bondage between the elements and give stability to the whole wall system;
-this wall also has provisions for reinforcement in the form of small precast holes through which steel rods can be inserted.

-for a in depth analysis on how to proper design such a structure click here !

Special retaining wall structure:

-TERRACED RETAINING WALL-CONCRETE
-TERRACED RETAINING WALL-MASONRY
-TERRACED RETAINING WALL-LUMBER-
- TERRACED RETAINING WALL-STEEL

Calculation Steps

2011-10-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

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Before begining to design a retaining wall we need to establish the different restraints that we might have in terms of :

site geometry and initial conditions ;
the nature of soil(soft, rock or different layers);
the posibility of using as much site material as possible;
for slopes with heights above 1.5m we need to determine the depth of the water behind the future retaining wall in order to determine the hydrostatic pressure
nature of soil in front and at the base of the future retaining wall .

Cantilever retaining wall

2011-10-08T10:35:00.002-07:00

Cantilever Retaining Wall- is made from an internal stem of steel-reinforced, cast-in-place concrete or mortared masonry (often in the shape of an inverted T).
These walls cantilever loads (like a beam) to a large, structural footing, converting horizontal pressures from behind the wall to vertical pressures on the ground below. Sometimes the cantilever retaining wall is butressed on the front, or include a counterfort on the back, to improve the strength resisting high loads.
Buttresses are short wing walls at right angles to the main trend of the wall. These walls require rigid concrete footings below seasonal frost depth. This type of wall uses much less material than a traditional gravity wall.
These rigid concrete footings must be positioned into firm suitable foundations.The wall operates like a beam — cantilevering the load to a large, fixed structural base — converting horizontal pressures from behind the wall into vertical pressures onto the ground below.Sometimes cantilevered walls are buttressed(include short wing-like walls at right angles to the main trend of the wall) on the front, or include a counterfeit on the back, to improve their stability against heavy loads.
A free design aplication that we strongly recommend to properly design a cantilever retaining wall is:

iCADonline-a free web based cantilever retaining wall analysis software that enables you to check :

sliding and
overturning,
bearing capacity control for: static and dynamic analysis case-that can be used by clicking here

or for more advanced design and calculation you can use the free :

GEO5-a free demo version of GEO5 software wich is a very complete program that includes the Cantilever aplication that is used by most professionals in geotechnical engineering and that you can be downloaded by clicking here .

Main features of GEO5:

-Verification analysis can be performed employing EN 1997-1, LRFD or classical approach (limit states, factor of safety)
-EN 1997 – option to choose partial factors based on National Annexes
-EN 1997 – option to choose all design approaches, consider design situations
-Analysis of internal stability (overturning, translation, load-bearing capacity of foundation soil)
-Verification of concrete cross-sections according to various standards (EC2, BS 8110, IS456, CSN, PN)
-Analysis according to the theory of limit states and safety factor
-Generally layered soil environment
-Built-in database of soil parameters
-Arbitrary number of surcharges applied to structures (strip, trapezoidal, concentrated load)
-Arbitrary number of inserted forces (anchors, safety fences, etc.)
-Modelling of water in front of and behind structures, modelling of artesian water
-Possibility to not consider pressure in the front
-General shape of terrain behind the structure
-Berms in front of the structure
-Various types of pressures in front of the structure (at rest, passive, reduced passive)

Anchored retaining wall

2011-10-08T09:11:00.003-07:00

             Anchored wall-is a wall that is usually pinned both top and bottom using cables, or other stays, which are anchored in the rock or soil behind it.Anchors are driven into the material and then expanded at the end of the cable, either by mechanical means or by injecting pressurised concrete into the hole. The concrete expands to form a bulb in the soil.
The anchor wall may be embedded at the base and tied to a slab at the top or to a “deadman anchor” — a concrete structure which is driven into the ground or anchored to the earth with sufficient resistance. The horizontal cable, rod or helical anchor, and deadman structure resists forces that would otherwise cause the wall to become unstable.This method, though technically complex, is useful where high loads are expected, or where the wall itself has to be slender and would be too weak without anchoring.

   For this type of wall we recommend the same programs as for the piling walls for they are the most suited for this subject and because anchored walls are sugested when the piling walls will not fit the both desired partial and global stability safety factors,and they are:

Prosheet- a free comprehensive software for Cantilever and Anchored Sheet Wall Systems according to the Blum theory. The ProSheet 2.2 defines all the forces required for determing a sheet piling structure.

The results produced by this method have to be checked carefully by the user in order to make sure that modelization of the soil-structure interaction is accurate enough (e.g. arching effects leading to higher anchor forces and lower bending moments in the wall).

For the design of the head wall three static systems are possible:

- cantilever
- free earth support with one layer of anchor or struts
- fixed earth support with one layer of anchor or struts.

The anchor wall may be free-earth or fixed-earth supported.

The following loads are taken into consideration for the head wall as well as for the anchor wall:

- earth pressure behind the wall

- earth pressure in front of the wall

- water pressure behind the wall

- water pressure in front of the wall

- uniform infinite surcharges on the soil surface (Caquot)

- concentrated linear surcharges (max 5) at any location (Boussinesq)

- point forces at any location of the wall (Concentrated Forces)

- a pressure diagram on the back of the wall.

The program defines the design characteristics based on the input data given by the user and the results are printed out in graphical as well as tabular form.

The design can be made in either metric or imperial units-you can download the sofware by clicking here .

SLOPE/W-from GEO-SLOPE a comprehensive program that you can download for free only a trial version and you can view a sheet pile wall design example by clicking -here (a specific case study for such a wall after EC7 can be viewed here !

GEO5-Sheeting Design-program used to design sheet pile structures,it provides required pile embedment lengths (for fixed and hinged toes), pile bending moments, internal forces and anchor loads program that can be downloaded by clicking here .

Main features of the GEO5-Sheeting Design:

-Analysis according to the theory of limit states and safety factor
-Generally layered soil environment
-Verification analysis can be performed employing EN 1997-1, LRFD or classical approach (limit states, factor of safety)
-EN 1997 – option to choose partial factors based on National Annexes
-EN 1997 – option to choose all design approaches, consider design situations
-Built-in database of soil parameters
-Arbitrary number of surcharges applied to structures (strip, trapezoidal, concentrated load)
-Modelling of water in front of and behind structures, modelling of artesian water
-General shape of terrain behind the structure
-Earthquake effects (Mononobe-Okabe, Arrango)
-Analysis of earth pressures in effective and total parameters
-Multiple levels of struts
-Application of specified forces and moments
-Analysis of soldier beams
-Verification of external stability of a wall using program Slope Stability .