Different Types of Retaining Walls

A retaining wall is a structure designed and constructed to withstand lateral soil pressure when there is a desired change in soil elevation that exceeds the angle of deviation of the soil. Retaining walls are used to support the soil laterally so that it can be held at different heights on both sides. A retaining wall is a structure designed to hold soil at a slope that cannot be resisted naturally (usually steep, near-vertical, or vertical slope). You can also look for the best retaining wall experts through various online sources.

There are different types of retaining walls, some of the most popular are discussed below:

Gravity Wall: Gravity walls depend on their mass (stone, concrete, or other heavy material) to withstand backpressure and may have "dough" deviations to increase stability by leaning against the restrained soil. In the case of short walls for landscaping, they are often made of masonry without mortar or segmented concrete blocks (stone).

Reinforced Retaining Wall: Reinforced concrete and reinforced concrete walls in pad foundations are gravity structures where the resistance to tipping is given by the weight of the wall and the reinforcement bars in the wall. The following are the main types of walls:

  • Cantilevered Concrete Retaining Wall: Cantilever retaining walls consist of walls connected by plinths. Cantilever walls hold a large amount of soil, so they need to be well designed.

  • Comfort / Retaining Wall: Retaining walls are cantilevered walls reinforced with monolithic supports with back wall panels and floor panels. 

Retaining walls are primarily used to prevent soil erosion, create usable beds from steep terrain, and provide decorative or functional landscaping features. They can be standalone structures or part of a larger construction project, such as a building.