WEEK 3

Stages for Construction

RETAINING WALL

By :
Assoc. Prof Ir Dr Hjh Kartini Kamaruddin
 WEEK 3
LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of week 3 lectures,

student will be able to :
-Identify the different types of retaining
walls and their respective functions.
(CO1; CO3)
 RETAINING WALL

 Basic function – to
retain soil at a slope
which is greater than
it would naturally
assume, usually at a
vertical or near
vertical position
 Retaining wall failure at the Shin-Kang Dam
 Design of retaining wall

 retaining walls have primary function of

retaining soils at an angle in excess of the
soil’s nature angle of repose.
 Walls within the design height range are
designed to provide the necessary resistance
by either their own mass or by the principles
of leverage.
 Design consideration:
1. Overturning of the wall does not occur
2. Forward sliding does not occur
3. Materials used are suitable
4. The subsoil is not overloaded
 Factors which designer need to take
account
 Nature and characteristics of the subsoils
 Height of water table – the presence of water
can create hydrostatic pressure, affect bearing
capacity of the subsoil together with its shear
strength, reduce the frictional resistance
between the underside of the foundation
 Type of wall
 Materials to be used in the construction
 Failure of retaining wall (dam) due to water
pressure..
Retaining Wall Selection
Procedure

The decision to select a particular retaining wall system for a

specific project requires a determination of both technical
feasibility and comparative economy. With respect to economy,
the factors that should be considered are:
cut or fill earthwork situation
size of wall area
average wall height
foundation conditions (i.e. would a deep or shallow foundation
be appropriate for a cast-in-place concrete retaining wall)
availability and cost of select backfill material
cost and availability of right of way needed
complicated horizontal and vertical alignment changes need
for temporary excavation support systems maintenance of
traffic during construction
aesthetics
 Geotechnical Information (Materials
and Test)

A copy of the subsurface investigation report and specific design

values for the following parameters (where required):
Shear strength (drained and undrained for fine grained soils) of
foundation soilsChapter I – General Policy Page I - 6 October 29,
2009
Allowable bearing pressure and consolidation properties for
foundation soils
Required shear strength and unit weight ranges of select backfill
Shear strength of random fill or in-situ soil behind wall
 General Structural and Geotechnical
Design Requirements

The following are general design requirements for retaining walls

that will be shown on the concept drawings or addressed in the
contract documents.
Design life of the structure (example: permanent mechanically stabilized earth walls
are commonly designed, based on corrosion, for minimum service lives of 75 years).
(Structures)

Minimum safety factors for overturning, sliding and stability of temporary

construction slopes. (Typical values are overturning 2.0, sliding 1.5, and temporary
construction slopes 1.2). An analysis for overall external slope stability will be
performed by the Materials and Tests Division. (Materials and Test)

Allowable foundation bearing pressure, minimum wall footing embedment depth and
maximum tolerable total and differential settlements. (Materials and Test. Note:
Driven piles are to support Cast-in-Place Concrete Gravity and Cantilever walls only.
Pile driving will not be an acceptable method of improving the allowable bearing
pressure of the MSE type wall foundations))
 Internal design requirements for mechanically stabilized earth wall
products, to include allowable reinforcement material stress, safety factor
against reinforcement pullout (typically 1.5) and allowable lateral
deformation for the interpretation of laboratory pullout tests (typically
¾”).
 Magnitude, location and direction of external loads due to bridges,
overhead signs and lights, traffic surcharge and rapid groundwater draw
down.
 Limits and requirements for drainage features beneath, behind, or through
the retaining structure. Backfill requirements for both within and behind
the retaining structure
 Special facing panel and module finishes or colors.
 Governing sections of construction specifications and specifications within
this manual.

The preparation of the concept plan is a coordinated activity between the

Design Division, Structures Division and the Division of Materials and
Tests. Design consultants are responsible for submitting retaining wall
recommendations to the Department for review and action. Geometric,
geotechnical and structural considerations must be complementary for the
conceptual plan to convey the desired end product to the bidders.
 Construction

During construction there are many factors that affect the

loading on a retaining wall. Following are a few one should be
aware of:
Types of backfill
Drainage of backfill material
Backfill overloads (heavy equipment)
Placement of backfill
Type of material beneath footing

Careful planning, study, design, etc. can be rendered useless if

the wall is not constructed according to plans & specifications.
If existing field conditions do not agree with plans, the engineer
and/or geologist should be contacted.
 Types of walls

• Mass retaining walls

• Cantilever walls
• Counterfort retaining
walls
• Precast concrete
retaining walls
• Precast concrete crib-
retaining walls
 Mass retaining walls

 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 slide or overturn
 Generally only economic up to 1.8 m
 Mass walls can be constructed of semi-
engineering quality bricks bedded in a 1:3
cement mortar or of mass concrete
 Natural stone is suitable for small walls up to
1m high but generally it is used as a facing
material for walls over 1 m
Typical example of mass retaining
walls

BRICK MASS RETAINING WALL

 Brick retaining
wall

Stone retaining wall

Typical example of mass retaining
walls

MASS CONCRETE RETAINING WALL

WITH STONE FACINGS
 Cantilever walls

 Usually of reinforced concrete and work on the

principle of leverage where the stem is
designed as a cantilever fixed at the base and
the base is designed as a cantilever fixed at the
stem
 Economic height range of 1.2 m to 6 m using
pre-stressing techniques
 Any durable facing material can be applied to
the surface to improve appearance of the wall
Cantilever wall
 Two basic forms:-
• A base with a large heel
• A cantilever with a large toe

Cantilever T Cantilever L
Cantilever walls
 Counterfort retaining walls

 Can be constructed of reinforced or prestressed

concrete
 Suitable for over 4.5 m
 Triangular beams placed at suitable centres
behind the stem and above the base to enable
the stem and base to act as slab spanning
horizontally over or under the counterforts
 Precast concrete retaining wall

 Manufactured from high-grade precast concrete on the

cantilever principle.
 Can be erected on a foundation as permanent retaining
wall or be free standing to act as dividing wall between
heaped materials which it can increase three times the
storage volume for any given area
 Other advantages- reduction in time by eliminating
curing period, cost of formwork, time to erect and
dismantle the temporary forms
 Lifting holes are provided which can be utilized for
fixing if required
application
Precast concrete retaining walls
 Precast concrete crib-retaining walls

 Designed on the principle of mass retaining

walls
 A system of precast concrete or treated timber
components comprising headers and stretchers
which interlock to form a 3 dimensional
framework or crib of precase concretetimber
units within which soil is retained
 Constructed with a face batter between 1:6 and
1:8
 Subsoil drainage is not required since the open
face provides adequate drainage.
Any Questions…..

Can you’ll able to :

-Identifythe different types of
retaining walls and their respective
functions. (CO1; CO3)

End of Lectures………..