Retaining Wall

Retaining walls are structures that help in managing the surface of the ground at different elevations on either side of the structure. If the retaining wall was not there, the soil at higher elevation would tend to move down till it obtains its natural, stable configuration.

Therefore the soil that is now retained at a steeper slope than it could sustain through virtue of its shear strength exerts a force on the retaining wall. The various types of retaining walls are as follow:

(a)       Gravity walls

(b)       Cantilever walls

(c)       Counterfort walls

(d)       Buttress walls

(e)       Crib walls

(f)        Gabion wall

(g)       Sheet pile walls

(h)       Anchored earth walls

(i)        Diaphragm walls

(j)        Reinforced earth walls

A short description of every wall is given in below.