RETAINING WALLS
Retaining walls are vertical or near-vertical structures designed to retain material on one side, preventing it from collapsing or slipping or preventing erosion. They provide support to terrain where the soil’s angle of repose is exceeded and it would otherwise collapse into a more natural form. The principal characteristic of a retaining wall is being able to withstand the pressure exerted by the retained material, which is usually soil.
A retaining wall may include a parapet that extends above the height of the retained material, often for safety reasons.
The main uses of retaining walls are to help prevent soil erosion, create usable beds out of steep terrain and to provide decorative or functional landscaping features. They may be independent structures, or may be part of a wider construction works, such as a building.
Types of retaining walls can include-
- Reinforced cast in situ concrete
- Standard masonry walls using traditional bricks or blocks
- Hybrid solutions which can incorporate bricks, blocks, concrete and reinforcement
- Gabion baskets which are wire baskets filled on site with rubble or walling stone
- Interlocking timber walls, often called crib walls
- Reinforced earth retaining structures
