In-situ

Sheet Pile
-these are long structural sections with interlocking edges that creates a
continuous wall in order to retain soil or water. It is most commonly used as
support for excavations for basements and below grade parking structures.
These temporary sheet piles are then removed after construction. There are
also permanent sheet piles which are designed for a longer service life. Sheet
piles are also a sustainable option since recycled steel is used in their
construction, and the piles can often be reused.
http://www.skylinesteel.com/globalnav/products/steel-sheet-piling
http://www.haywardbaker.com/WhatWeDo/Techniques/EarthRetentionSystems
/SheetPiles/default.aspx

Soldier Pile
Soldier piles are found along with lagging walls. These are used primarily for
temporary excavation support. These walls are constructed by installing vertical
soldier piles, typically H beams, from the original grade before excavation begins.
Soldier piles are fast to construct, and cheaper as compared to other earth retaining
systems. However, this type of structure is only limited to temporary construction
and is not as stiff as others. It is not advised to use this method on areas where the
water table is high.
http://www.deepexcavation.com/en/retaining-systems-soldierpile
http://www.foundationrepairservices.com/service/soldier-piles-and-lagging/

Cast in-situ
These walls do not rely on their mass to retain the soil. Rather, they rely on
their flexural strengths to retain the soil. They are supported by penetration
into the soil or by anchoring systems.

Soil Cement
1. Cantilevered
2. Braced
3. Tied-Back

Gravity
Massive
They are built from solid concrete or rock rubble mortared together. The
lateral forces from backfill is resisted by the weight of wall itself, and due to
their massive nature, they develop little or no tension. Therefore, they are
usually not reinforced with steel. Gravity walls are economical for heights up
to 3 m (10 feet).
Cantilever
Cantilever walls are built of reinforced concrete and are typically composed of
a horizontal footing and a vertical stem wall. The weight of the soil mass
above the heel helps keep wall stable. Cantilever walls are economical for
heights up to 10 m (32 feet).
 Counterfort
If the height of the retaining wall exceeds certain limit, the cantilever walls
are not economical. Economy can be achieved by providing counterforts
which are nothing but vertical beams connected to the stem and the heel
slab by reinforcements at regular intervals. The heel slab and the vertical
stem are designed as continuous slabs instead of cantilever slabs
http://theconstructor.org/structural-engg/design-of-retaining-walls-
concept/3240/
A counterfort retaining wall is very similar to a cantilever wall, except that it has one
additional feature. This wall has a triangular shaped wall which connects the top of
the wall to the back of the footer. This added support wall is hidden within the
earthen or gravel backfill of the wall. The footer, retaining wall and support wall must
be tied to one another with reinforcing steel.
http://www.askthebuilder.com/retaining-walls-types/

Buttress
If the counterforts are provided in the toe side, the retaining wall is called a
buttress wall.
A buttressed retaining wall is basically identical to a counterfort wall except for one
thing. The support wall is on the outside of the retaining wall. They are visible. The
buttresses add incredible strength to the wall system. For the retaining wall to fail or
tip over, the buttresses would have to be crushed. The buttress concept was widely
used in the construction of many cathedrals in Europe.

Gabion
Gabbions are multi-celled, welded wire or rectangular wire mesh boxes, which
are then rockfilled, and used for construction of erosion control structures and
to stabilize steep slopes.
Crib
Crib walls are made up of interlocking individual boxes made from timber or
pre-cast concrete. The boxes are then filled with crushed stone or other
coarse granular materials to create a freedraining structure. It can be made
with timber or reinforced concrete.

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.
They can be used almost anywhere a retaining wall is needed including driveways, building sites, and
garden areas.

Bin
 A retaining, supporting, or protective structure made from a group of
connected bins filled with gravel or sand. May serve as an abutment, a pier, a retaining
wall, or as a shield against gunfire or explosion.

Reinforced soils
Reinforced earth
Reinforced soil is a composite material formed by the association of frictional soil and tension
resistant elements in the form of sheets, strips, nets or mats of metal, synthetic fabrics or fibre
reinforced plastics and arranged in the soil mass in such a way as to reduce or suppress the
tensile strain which might develop under gravity and boundary forces. The range of applications
of reinforced soil technique is unlimited. Jones (1985) identified several field applications, viz.
retaining walls, abutments, quay walls, embankments, dams, hill roads, housing, foundations,
railways, industry, pipe works, waterway structures and underground structures

Geotextiles
We offer structural soil reinforcement geosynthetics through our line of woven
geotextiles. Heavy polyester or polypropylene yarns are woven into unique patterns to
form high strength geotextiles with superior hydraulic characteristics. These geotextiles
maximize land use by allowing the construction of steeper slopes. Layers of structural
geotextiles placed between soil lifts, allow the creation of steepened slopes by providing
tensile strength to the soil system. When land space is limited, structural geotextiles are
ideal for constructing retaining walls. These woven geotextiles provide a cost-effective
alternative to traditional retaining wall construction methods. In fact, a recent survey by
the Geosynthetics Institute (GSI) indicated that geosynthetic retaining walls are the most
cost-effective of all retaining wall types.

In-situ reinforcement
Soil Nailing
Soil nailing is an earth retention technique using grouted tension-resisting steel elements (nails) that
can be design for permanent or temporary support. The walls are generally constructed from the top
down. Typically, 3 to 6 feet of soil is excavated from the top of the planned excavation. Near-horizontal
holes are drilled into the exposed face at typically 3 to 6 foot centers. Tension-resisting steel bars are
inserted into the holes and grouted. A drainage system is installed on the exposed face, followed by
the application of reinforced shotcrete facing. Precast face panels have also been used instead of
shotcrete. Bearing plates are then fixed to the heads of the soil nails. The soil at the base of this first
stage is then removed to a depth of about 3 to 6 feet. The installation process is repeated until the
design wall depth is reached. The finished soil nails produce a zone of reinforced ground.

Soil nailing has been used to stabilize slopes and landslides, provide earth retention for excavations
for buildings, plants, parking structures, tunnels, deep cuts, and repair existing retaining walls.

Soil nailing is used to stabilize the slopes or excavations where required

slopes for excavation cannot be provided due to space constraints and
construction of retaining wall is not feasible. It is just an alternate to
retaining wall structures.
 Reticulated Micropiles
Advantageous when limited space, performing work on unstable soils and
difficult soil conditions.