JAGAN’S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND

TECHNOLOGY
choutapalem(v), Nellore(D)

TOPIC: RETAINING WALL

PRESENTED BY: K. VENKATA ANJANEYULU, ROLL NO: 163E1A0112
outlines

 Functions
 Technology
 Soil mechanics
 Forces and loads
 Classification
 Design proportion
 Modes of failure
 Application
 Design step
 reference
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function

 A retaining wall is any constructed wall that remains soil or oter material at
location having an abrupt change in elevation
 Earth retaining wall structures are used to hold back earthand maintain a
difference in the elevation of the ground surface.
 The retaining structures is designed to withstand the forces exerted by the retained
ground or “backfill” and other externally applied loads, and to transmit these
forces safely to a foundation.
 In general, the cost of constructing a retaining structures is usually high compared
with the cost of forming a new slope. Therefore,the need for a retaining structure
sould be assessed carefully during preliminary design and an effort sould be made
to keep the retained height as low as possible.

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terminology

 Backfill: the soil placed behind the wall.

 Backfill slope: often the backfill slopes upward from the back face of the wall. The slope is
usually expressed as a ratio of horizontal to vertical.
 Batter: the slope of the face of the steam from a vertical plane, usually on the inside (earth)
face.
 Dowels: reinforced steel placed in the footing and bent up into the steam a distance at least
equal to the required development length.
 Footing or foundation: the part of the structure below the steam that supports and transmits
vertical and horizontal forces in to the soil below.
 Footing key: a depended portion of the footing to provide greater sliding resistance.
 Grade: the surface of the soil or paving ; can refer to either side of the wall.
 Heel: that portion of the footing extending behind the wall (under retained soil)
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terminology

 Keyway: a horizontal slot located at the base of the steam and cast into the footing for greater shear
resistance.
 Principal reinforcing: reinforcing used to resist behind the steam.
 Retained height: the height of the earth to be retained, generally measured upward from the top of the
footing.
 Stem: the vertical wall above the foundation.
 Surcharge: any load placed in or on top of the soil ,either in front or behind the wall.
 Toe: that portion of footing which extends in front of the front face of the stem ( away from the
retained earth).
 Weep holes: holes provided at the base of the stem for drainage. Weep holes usually have gravel or
crushed rock behind the openings to act as a sieve and prevent clogging. Poor drainage of weep holes
is the result of weep holes becoming clogged with weeds, there by increasing the lateral pressure
against the wall. Unless properly designed and maintained, weep holes seldom “weep”. Alternatively,
perforated pipe to provide drainage of the backfill.
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Terminology

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Soil mechanics

 Boulders > 12”

 Cobbles > 3”
 Gravel > #4 sieve 3”
 Sand > #200 sieve
 Silt < #200 sieve
 Clay < 0.005 to 0.002 mm

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Forces and loads

The design of retaining walls may include any or all of the following
 Lateral earth pressure
 Axial loads
 Adjacent footing loads
 Impact forces
 Wind or projecting sream

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Coloumb’s equation

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Forces and loads

 The rankine equation

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Classification

• Gravity retaining structure

stability depends on the self weight of the wall
not economical for design
• Semi-gravity retaining structures
minimum amount of reinforcement may be used in the wall to reduce the
size of the wall
• Cantilever retaining walls
reinforced concrete is used in the wall design with thin stem and slab base
relatively economical for design

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Gravity retaining wall

 Gravity retaining walls are constructed of plain concrete or stone masonry. They
depend mostly on their own weight and anu soil resting on the wall for stability.
these type of construction is not economical for walls heigher then 3m.

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 classification
This are sometimes called gravity walls and rely upon their
own mass together with the friction on the underside of the
base to overcome the tendency to side or overturn. They
generally economic only up to a height of 1.800 m. mass walls
can be constructed of semi-engineering quality bricks bedded
in a1:3 cement motor or of mass concrete. The latter called
could have some light fabric reinforcement to control surface
cracking. Natural stone is sutible for small wall up to 1.000 m
high, but generally used as facing materials for walls over
1.000 m.

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classification

Semi-gravity retaining walls are modification of

gravity wall in which small amount of reinforcing steel
are introduced for minimizing the wall section

Cantilever retaining walls are the most common type

of retaining walls and are generally used for wall high
up to 8m. It derives its name from the fact that is
individual parts behave as, and are designed as,
cantilever beams. its stability is a function of strength of
its individual parts.

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classification

These are usually of reinforced concrete. And work on the

principles of leverage. Two basic forms can be considered: a base
with a large heel so that the mass of earth can be above can be added
to the mass of the wall for design purposes, or, if this form is not
practicable, a cantilever wall with large toe. The drawings show
typical sections and patterns of reinforcement encountered with
these basic forms of cantilever retaining wall. The main steel occurs
on the tension face of the wall, and nominal steel (0.15% of the
cross-sectional area of the wall) is very often included in the
opposite face to control the shrinkage cracking that occurs in in-situ
concrete work. Reinforcement requirements bending, fabricating and
placing dealt with in detail in the section on reinforced concrete.

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classification

Reinforced cantilever walls have an economic height rage of

1.200-6.000m; walls in excess of these height have been
economically constructed using prestressing techniques.
Any durable facing material may be applied to the surface e
to improve the appearance of the wall, but it must be
remembered that such finishes are decorative and add
nothing to the structural strength of the wall.

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classification
Counterfort retaining wall
These walls can be constructed of reinforced or prestressed
concrete. And are considered suitable if the height is over
4.500m. The counterforts are triangular beams placed at
suitable centers behind the stem and above the base to
enable the stem and base to act as slabs spanning
horizontally over or under the counterforts.

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classification

If the counterforts are placed on the face of the stem they are termed buttresses and
the whole arrangement is called a buttresses- retaining wall. The designing and
construction principles are similar in the two formats.

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classification

REINFORCED MASONARY RETAINING WALLS

Steel reinforcement may be used in brick retaining wall to resist tensile forces and to
prevent the effects of shear. A brick bonding arrangement known as quetta bond is
used to correct a uniform distribution of vertical voids. Vertical steel reinforcement is
tied to the foundation reinforcement and spaced to coincide with the purpose-made
voids. When the brickwork is completed, the voids are filled with concrete to produce
a series of reinforced concrete mini-column with in the wall

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classification

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Modes of failures

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Applications

 New or winded highways in developed areas;

 New or winded highways at mountain or sleep slopes;
 Grade separation;
 Bridge abutments, wing walls and approach embankments;
 Culvert walls
 Tunnel portals and approaches;
 Flood walls, bulkheads and waterfront structures;
 Stabilization of new or existing slopes and protection against rock falls

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Applications

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Design steps

 Select the suitable types of wall

 Determine the dimensions of the wall (empirical)
 Estimate earth pressures.
 Estimate uplift forces
 Estimate gravity forces (weights)
 Determine external forces
 Check factor of safety against sliding
 Check factor of safety against overturning
 Check soil over stress
 Check deep seated failure (slope failure)
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references

 Wikipedia, slideshare and other books and journals.

 Geo technical engineering text books.
THANK YOU