W

TOS 6:UNIT 1: RETAINING

WALLS CONTINUED: CANTILEVER
RETAINING
Objectives: WALLS
1. To Understand the Need of a R.C.C COUNTER-
Cantilever Retaining Wall and Its FORT
Proportioning, Stability, Stem Reinforcement RETAINING
Design and Detailing, Base Reinforcement WALLS
Detailing

2. To Understand Special Conditions of R.C.C

Cantilever Retaining Walls

3. To Understand a Counter- Fort Retaining

Walls, Its Structural Action and
Reinforcement Detailing

4.To Understand the Need For Weep Holes

5.To Understand the Effect of Surcharge on

a Retaining Wall
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TOS VI: Unit 1: Retaining Walls Continued:

1.1Revision: We already learnt in the last outing on Retaining Walls the following

Need of a Retaining Wall

Angle of Repose and Rankine’s Theory of Earth Pressures

Active and Passive Earth Pressures

Different Types of Retaining Walls

Gravity Retaining Walls – Stability and Proportioning.

It would be good to list the Advantages and Dis-advantages of Gravity Retaining Walls
before continuing the discussion on Retaining walls

1. Advantages:
• Easy to Construct with Simple Primitive Techniques.
• Durable.
• Aesthetically Appealing as they could be in a variety of Textures.
• Blends with the Landscape if made of locally available material.
• Versatility : well suited to rapidly varying ground levels.

2. Disadvantages:
• Uneconomical for Greater Heights
• Bulky as Height increases occupying more and more space
• Damage: Vertical cracks seen on Retaining Walls indicate that they are very prone to damage
under differential movements. Need to be founded on competent soils/rock. If on soils then
concrete base slab usually needed. Regular movement joints (say every 5m) required
especially at change in height or at foundation level.
• Build-up of Hydrostatic Pressure: Not permeable therefore weep holes must be provided. Also
to be provided is a zone of free draining fill behind wall. There is a Danger of drainage clogging
too adding to the Lateral Pressure
• Good quality materials and also good masons required.

Let us now address one of the issues immediately i.e. the one of build-up of Hydrostatic Pressure
in the Back Fill and also solve it.

1.2 Weep Holes:

Backfill which is saturated with water exerts higher lateral pressure on the retaining wall. Thus the
wall needs to be designed for this higher lateral pressure. When the soil is not submerged, the

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Retaining wall is normally designed for earth pressure only and consideration for increased earth
pressure due to seepage of water into this earth or due to rising water table is not taken into
account. Hence regardless of the backfill material, the reduction or elimination of hydrostatic
pressure by draining out the water from the back fill by use of Weep Holes needs attention.
Different ways of draining water from the back fill are as given below and their use depends on

the type of soil, rainfall in the area, etc.

1. Provide series of Weep Holes of diameter 100 mm or more in the bottom region of the
wall at 1.2 m or 2.0 m apart,
vertically and horizontally. Weep
holes should always have some kind
of filter material between the wall
and the backfill to prevent fines
migration, weep-hole clogging, and
loss of backfill and caving.
2. A more effective method is
to provide an impervious blanket
like plain concrete along the length
of the wall. The water from the
blanket may be collected either by
clay pipes or perforated metal pipes.
This water may be discharged at
desired points or through weep
holes at isolated points.

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1.3 R.C.C. Cantilever Retaining Wall:

When the height of the material becomes greater than 5m, Gravity Retaining Walls will become
uneconomical and then we build up R.C.C Cantilever Retaining Walls which are economical up-to a
height of 6m after which we have to use Counter-Fort Type Retaining Walls
A cantilever retaining wall consists of a vertical cantilevering slab called the Stem and a Base slab.
The Base slab consists of a Toe Slab (on the opposite side of the Back Fill) and a Heel Slab which is
under the retained Earth (on the same side of the Back Fill). The proportions of the Retaining wall
are as follows.
1. Top Width of Stem = 200 – 250 mm
2. Bottom Width of Stem = Computed from Bending Moment Considerations.
3. Width of Base Slab = 0.5 to 0.6 times the height of the wall.
4. Toe Projection = 1/6th to 1/3rd of the Base Width
5. Thickness of the Base Slab = Same as Bottom Width of the Stem
though dimensions are assumed at the beginning they shall be checked for Stability and also
for other pressures acting on the wall.

The Wall is so called as the Stem Cantilever outs from the base.
These are then the Steps in Designing of such a Wall.
I. A tentative cross section should be first assumed as per thumb rules given above.
II. For one meter run of the wall, the maximum Bending Moment at the bottom of the stem is
computed and the depth for the same is worked out from the equation

= . . 

Cover to reinforcement is 50mm

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III. Base slab thickness = Stem Bottom Depth Computed.

IV. Study the stability of the structure similar to Gravity Retaining Walls with respect to
A. Overturning. B. Sliding. C. Maximum and Minimum Pressure at Base.
V. In case of lower F.O.S for sliding, a Shear Key may be provided at the toe below the base or
vertically below the stem below the base.
VI. Reinforcement

a. Stem
Reinforcement. The
reinforcement is
calculated from B.M
considerations. It is
provided on the
earth side. The
reinforcement may
be curtailed as we
go up as the stem is
a vertical cantilever
attached to the
base. Distribution
steel is generally
provided on both
the faces of the stem. Area of distribution steel need not exceed 0.15% for Fe250 and 0.12%
for Fe415 or Fe500. Cover to reinforcement is 40mm – 50mm.
b. Toe Reinforcement. The toe slab is designed as a cantilever acted upon by upward soil reaction.
The depth provided is checked from B.M considerations. The Main steel is provided for
B.Mmax and provided at the bottom. Cover 50mm – 60mm.
c. Heel Reinforcement. The heel slab is also designed as a cantilever acted upon by upward
pressure and also the weight of the soil on the heel, its own self weight, and superimposed
loads or loads due to surcharge. The Main steel is provided for B.Mmax and provided at the
top. Cover 50mm – 60mm.
d. Shear Key Reinforcement. The requirement of reinforcement in the shear key is very small and
hence alternate bars from the base slab steel may be bent down and used. If the shear key is
provided at the base of the stem, and in this case alternate bars from the stem reinforcement
may be extended up to the shear key.

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B: Design of Stem Reinforcement

do provided at the base of the stem = 630

Hence de = 630 - 50 - 16/2 = 572
Design of Stem Reinforcement

B.M max at ka x ω x h³/6 = 0.33 x 18 x 185.2 185.19 kNm

= =
base of Stem 6
Factored B.Mmax = 1.5 x 185.19 = 277789500 Nmm
Check for depth provided M.R = 0.134 x fck x b x d²
277789500 = 0.134 x 20 x 1000 x d²
Hence d = 321.95 < 572 depth provided so safe
Ast = 277789500 277789500
=
0.87 x fy x 0.81 x de 0.87 x 500 x 0.81 x 572
Ast = 1378.31 mm²
Spacing of 12mm bars = Area of 1 bar x 1000 113 x 1000
=
Ast 1378.31
= 82 c/c

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As Bending Reduces towards the top we can curtail the 80 in bottom third
bars every third of the height subject to a maximum ≈ 160 in middle third
spacing of 300c/c, so spacing at top in this case can be 240 in upper third
Design of Stem
Reinforcement

Adst = 0.12 x do x 1000 0.12 x 300 + 630 x 1000 558 mm²

= =
100 100 2
Spacing of 8mm bars = Area of 1 Bar x 1000 50.2 x 1000 90 mm c/c
= ≈
Adst 558
As we providing distribution steel on the opposite face both vertically and
horizontally and on the earth face horizontally we shall provide 8mm bars = 270 mm c/c
at three times the spacing subject to a maximum spacing of 500c/c

1.5 Cantilever Retaining Wall Without A Heel Projection.

Sometimes due to
boundary
restrictions, it may
happen that the Wall
cannot be provided
with a heel
projection. In this
case the dead load of
the wall will have to
be considerably high
since no assistance is
available from the
soil on the heel.

1. The thickness
of the stem may be kept the same throughout and not tapered, to increase the self-weight.
2. Make the base slab thicker than the stem by about a 100mm
3. Instead of the width of the base slab being 0.6h, make it 0.7h
4. Shear key will have to be provided for prevention against sliding.
1.6 Cantilever Retaining Wall Without A Toe Projection.
Sometimes due to boundary restrictions, it may happen that the Wall cannot be provided with a
toe projection. This type of wall may be designed as an ordinary Cantilever Retaining Wall though
the base slab may have to be made 100 mm thicker than the bottom width of the stem.

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1.7 Counter-Fort Type Retaining Wall:

Retaining walls over 6 meters in height are made of the counterfort Type. The various
components of such a type of wall are as shown in the figure.

1. Upright Slab. This is designed as a continuous slab spanning on the counterforts and subjected
to lateral earth pressure. The lateral pressure is max at bottom and depth calculated for the
slab at the bottom is maintained throughout. The main reinforcement unlike the cantilever
retaining wall runs horizontally being provided away from the earth side at sections mid-way
between the counterforts and on the earth side at sections nearer the counterforts. The slabs
are also provided with distribution steel of 0.15% of cross sectional area placed vertically on
both the faces to form a mesh with the horizontal main bars.
2. The Base Slab. The width of the base slab is 0.6 – 0.7 times the height of the wall and it
comprises of the toe and the heel slab. The toe projection is 1/4th the total width of the base
slab.
The heel slab is designed as a continuous slab with the counterforts as the supports.
2. A. The Toe slab is designed in two ways either as a cantilever or as a continuous slab when
front counterforts are provided. In the first case the toe slab is designed as a cantilever slab
subjected to upward soil reaction. But if front counterforts are provided the toe slab shall be
designed as a continuous slab with counterforts as supports.

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3. Counter-Forts: These are spaced at 3 to 3.5 m centre to centre. Or they can be spaced at h/3
to h/2 where h is the height of the wall. The counterforts are designed as vertical cantilevers
held in position by the base slab. The loading on these counterforts is due to the lateral earth
pressure acting on the upright slab.

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1.8 Effect of Surcharge on Retaining Wall:

The soil retained by a Retaining Wall can be in horizontal with the top of the Retaining Wall or it
can be retained in such a way that it makes an angle with the horizontal. This extra material to be
retained is called Surcharge.
The Total Horizontal Force on the Retaining wall per unit run for a depth h from the surface is
given by
ℎ
 − ² − ²
= cosα
2  + ² − ²
 − √² − ²
 = cosα
 + √² − ²

Kp is the coefficient for active Earth Pressure for surcharged Walls. P is taken to act as h/3 from
base of the wall and parallel to the free surface.
The base width for such a surcharged wall is taken as 0.7 H where H= Total height of the wall. Toe
projection may be taken as 1/3rd of base width.
The surcharged load also could be due to parking area provided on the horizontal portion of the
backfill. This parking load would increase the horizontal pressure on the wall and the Wall design
will have to include provision for the same.

Landslide Management Tecniques:

The Following are out of syllabus but I would like to introduce and explain about each in brief.
Two walls that are quite effective in Land Slide Management are listed below.
1. Gabion Wall
2. Crib Wall

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I. A Gabion is a cage, cylinder, or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for
use in civil engineering, road building, military applications and landscaping. A gabion wall is
a retaining wall made of stacked stone-filled gabions tied together with wire. Gabion walls are
usually battered (angled back towards the slope), or stepped back with the slope, rather than
stacked vertically.
The life expectancy of gabions depends on the lifespan of the wire, not on the contents of the
basket. The structure will fail when the wire fails. Galvanized steel wire is most common, but PVC-
coated and stainless steel wire are also used. PVC-coated galvanized gabions have been estimated
to survive for 60 years.
Advantages of Gabion Walls are as follows
• No specialist equipment is required • Can be constructed by hand • Can use locally won
Rock-fill • The Technique is Flexible • It Allows for Free draining of back fill water so no need
to worry about build-up of pore pressures behind • Good base friction providing placed
directly on underlying soil.
Disadvantages of Gabion Walls are as follows:
• They are not as durable as a concrete or masonry wall • The wall has Low unit weight and hence offers
Less resistance per unit volume of wall. Rock-fill can be grouted in order to increase unit weight of wall.
• The wall has a Potential for loss of material through wall due to water flow. It is recommended to
have geotextile behind the wall to stop wash out. •The wall is not particularly well suited to rapidly
varying base level and this can be overcome by founding on a concrete or mortared masonry base but
this idea defeats some of the benefits of a gabion wall.
II. Concrete Crib walls are gravity retaining walls, constructed from interlocking, precast,
concrete components. They are filled with free draining material and earth backfill to
eliminate the hazards of hydrostatic pressure building up behind the wall. Concrib Crib walls
are low cost, of open web construction, and can be quickly and inexpensively erected. Crib
walls are also made of Treated Timber (less durable). These are not economical for long walls

TOS 6 Unit 1 Retaining Walls Continued Compiled by Ar. Arthur Cutinho