What is Retaining Wall?

A retaining wall is a structure that helps prevent a mass of matter from collapsing. It is an essential component in home construction, which protects the walls from the risk of falling apart. I had a fair idea about what is retaining wall, but I learned about it in detail during our house construction. There are also different types of retaining walls that are built depending on the land. 

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1. Rigid: These walls are made of masonry or concrete, and they create immovable structures.

2. Flexible: these are made of materials that are less rigid and can yield to the load without breaking.

That’s all I know about retaining walls. I hope this clarifies your doubt.

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How to Estimate Building Materials for Home Construction?

Hi Buddy,

Being a civil engineer, I have often witnessed the construction of a retaining wall. If  you are perplexed about what is retaining wall blocks? I would like to say that a lovely retaining wall can be built by anyone with a strong back stacking a pile of blocks. However, it requires talent and forethought to build a beautiful wall that can withstand enormous pressure, defy gravity, last for decades, in the lap of Mother Nature.

A retaining wall is a construction that keeps the soil behind it in place. Concrete large retaining wall blocks, poured concrete, treated timbers, pebbles, and boulders are just some of the materials that can be utilised to build retaining walls. Some are easy to use, while others have a limited lifespan, but all can hold soil.

• Gravity Retaining Wall:

Only the self-weight of a gravity retaining wall can withstand lateral earth pressure.

Because a high amount of gravity load is required to counteract soil pressure, gravity retaining walls are frequently enormous.

• Crib Retaining Wall:

Crib retaining walls, are a type of gravity wall. They're made out of interlocking wooden or pre-cast concrete individual boxes that fit together.

• Gabion Retaining Walls:

Gabion retaining walls are rectangular wire mesh boxes with a number of cells filled with pebbles or other suitable materials. It is used to construct erosion-control structures. It's also utilised to keep steep slopes stable.

• Cantilever Retaining Wall:

The stem and base slabs make up a cantilever retaining wall.

Reinforced concrete, precast concrete, or prestress concrete are used to build it.

• Counter-fort / Buttressed Retaining Wall:

It's a cantilever retaining wall, but it's reinforced by monolithic counter forts on the back of the wall slab and the base slab.

The counter-fort gap is half the height of the counter-fort or slightly more.

The height of the counter-fort walls varies between 8 and 12 metres.

• Anchored Retaining Wall:

When space is limited or a thin retaining wall is necessary, this form of retaining wall is used. For loose soil over rocks, an anchored retaining wall is ideal.

This type of retaining wall structure system can be used to build a very high retaining wall.

• Piled Retaining Wall:

Pile retaining walls are made by stacking reinforced concrete piles next to one another. Piles are pushed to a depth that is sufficient to withstand the force attempting to push the wall over.

Piled walls are high-strength retaining features that can hold lateral pressure in vast excavation depths with minimal disruption to nearby structures or properties.

• Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Retaining wall:

It is one of the most cost-effective and widely used retaining walls.

The selected fillings (granular) support the mechanically stabilised earth retaining wall, which is held together by reinforcements, which can be either metallic strips or plastic meshes.

Panel, concrete block, and temporary earth retaining walls are examples of MSE retaining walls.

• Hybrid Systems:

Hybrid or Composite retaining wall systems are retaining walls that use both mass and reinforcement for stability.

• Brick retaining walls:

can be classified into two groups, each of which produces walls that are practically identical in appearance. The distinction lies in the materials used and the construction method used. This change can have a significant influence on the homeowner's bottom line.

• Wall of the Cavity

A "cavity wall" is a retaining wall constructed completely of bricks. This structure is made up of two ordinary brick walls that are only a few inches apart and share the same foundation.

• Core Wall of Blocks

Since the advent of the concrete masonry unit, this technology has become significantly more popular (CMU). The wall is made up of CMU blocks that contain the steel within concrete-filled cells.

I would like to conclude my answer here about what is retaining wall. I hope this helps:)

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