Design Procedures for a Cantilever Retaining Wall

At times, fabrication of a wall, such as a cantilever retaining wall, is warranted on a sloped hillside to prepare the area for construction of housing or commercial development. A cantilever wall protects the structure from damage caused by landslides.

Function

A cantilever retaining wall holds back dirt, on a sloped elevation, to allow a level surface in front of the wall for home or commercial building construction, or sometimes for a backyard. Its design resembles an upside down T, with the top of the letter buried in the soil for stability. Design of the wall must be precise to prevent the structure from being overturned.

Features

One major design procedure is determining how much of a load, or weight, will be pressing against the wall. This information determines the next design procedure of deciding how thick, tall and long the cantilever wall components need to be constructed.

Considerations

Additionally, designers need to know the percentage of slope of the debris pressing against the wall to determine a safe height of the wall. Other factors that come into consideration are seismic, or earthquake, activity of the area, as well as annual rainfall and wind speeds..

References

• ASDIP Structural Software: Cantilever Retaining Wall Design