Block Retaining Wall Design Example

The interlocking retaining wall block can be used to build walls up to 24 to 36 inches high depending on the size of the block.
Block retaining wall design example. Forces on retaining walls 6. Learn more about gravity wall construction. The design process for a segmental retaining wall typically has a wall design engineer or site civil engineer responsible for the wall design envelope geotechnical engineers should be hired to evaluate the overall stability of the site. Based on our example in figure a 1 we have the forces due to soil pressure due to water and surcharge load to consider.
Earthquake seismic design 7. Design procedure overview 3. Concrete masonry unitsconcrete blocks manufactured to provide an attractive durable stable face to a retaining wall. There are some great examples of block retaining walls in the photos below from basic cinderblocks to intricate masonry work.
Building codes and retaining walls 5. They are commonly h or double u configuration. Avoid having downspouts pointed at the retaining wall and if it s against the house keep soil and mulch well below the siding. Geotextilea permeable polymeric material which may be woven non woven or knitted.
Boulder retaining wall ideas. If you are not sure of your site conditions we recommend being conservative with your retaining wall heights or use geogrid in your retaining wall. Design the reinforced concrete masonry cantilever retaining wall shown in figure 2. Take a look to see if you can make one of these styles work for your project.
305 mm f m 1 500 psi 10 3 mpa assumed weights. Wall thickness 12 in. It is commonly used to separate drainage material from other soil. Please note that the gravity wall chart provided has specific heights for specific site and soil conditions.
The coefficient of friction between the footing and foundation soil k 1 is 0 25 and the allowable soil bearing pressure is 2 000 psf 95 8 kpa ref. Soil mechanics simplified 4. Sketches of the retaining wall forces should be considered to properly distinguish the different forces acting on our retaining wall as tackled in the previous article retaining wall. Assume level backfill no surcharge or seismic loading active earth pressure and masonry laid in running bond.
Retaining walls built from boulders are practical and extremely effective. For information into the basic concepts behind an allan block retaining wall design see page 18 of the ab spec book and best. Follow the block manufacturer s instructions for wall height limits.