Golf Lessons - The Facts About Retaining Walls

The Facts About Retaining Walls

Posted on November 19th, 2011 by Adriana Noton

Structures built with the purpose of holding back earth from moving are called Retaining walls. These walls are typically used to stabilize slopes and make use of areas with varying elevations. For instance, terraces for agriculture, railways, roads, and buildings.

These units are constructed to resist lateral pressure caused from the soil. This pressure normally occurs when the change in ground elevation is more than the repose or angle of soil. All of these structures are built to support an area of soil. A good example of a retaining structure commonly built is basement walls. Though these basement units are considered retaining walls, that term is typically used to describe cantilever models that are freestanding and do not have lateral support at the top.

The types of these structures: anchored, cantilever, piling, and gravity. The standard model is gravity. These are able to hold the earth using the weight of the wall. Though they may fall over easily because of the high leverage of pressure coming from the earth. Piling modes utilize long piles. These structures are fixed. They have soil on their lower ends, on both sides. These models are able to tolerate high loads, if the piles can handle bending forces.

Cantilever models utilize the pressure created by the earth in order to support itself using a lever arm. Anchored models are attached to cables. The cables, which are driven into soil or rock and help in position by expanding anchors, keep the structures from falling over.

There are many techniques used for retaining. Soil nailing can reinforce excavations, soil slopes, and retaining walls. This method requires the insertion of slender parts, typically steel-enforced bars, into pre-drilled areas. The bars are installed untensioned and positioned in a downward incline. The hole in which they are placed is grouted or drilled into a fixed position. Isolated soil nail heads or a facing may be used at the surface.

Retaining systems that are not solely a wall are considered soil-strengthened systems. They may also include features that reduce the earth pressure that acts on the wall. Most of these systems are used in combination with a wall. Gabion meshes are a type of soil strengthening commonly used with an outside wall. These devices contain wire mesh boxes where roughly cut materials, such as stone, is filled. The cages reduce internal movement and erosion forces.

Mechanically stabilized earth, MSE, is soil that is built with artificial reinforce. Layered mats, called geosynthetics, are attached to the ends. These mats offer additional resistance internally. Steel traps, which also have layers, do this as well. For this to be accomplished, there must be outer facing walls that the many layers can be attached to. Most of the wall faces are concrete so that they can withstand movement.

Retaining walls are constructed in places where it is necessary to hold the earth back. They are built to resist pressure from the soil and earth. There are four primary types, each one having a different level of tolerance and resistance ability. Sometimes these structures must be used with other systems in order to be effective.

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