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Concrete Retaining Walls

An overview of the most common types of retaining walls, construction methods, and how to give them a decorative face replicating stone or masonry

By Jeff Girard, Structural Engineer

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An Introduction to Retaining Walls: What They Do and the Basic Types

What retaining walls do

Four common types of concrete retaining walls

How to Design Concrete Retaining Walls

General retaining wall design

Building codes for retaining walls

How to determine lateral earth pressure

Determining concrete retaining wall proportions

Provisions for joints in concrete walls

Backfill drainage of retaining walls

The importance of groundwork and compaction

How to Install Concrete Retaining Walls

Retaining Wall Cost

Decorative Face Options for Retaining Walls

Decorative poured walls: Reproduce the look of stone or masonry

Vertical concrete overlays

Form liners for cast-in-place vertical concrete

Related Information:

Landscape Retaining Walls: Information and design ideas for residential retaining walls from LandscapingNetwork.com

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Four Types of Poured Concrete Retaining Walls

Retaining walls provide lateral support to vertical slopes of soil. They retain soil which would otherwise collapse into a more natural shape. The retained soil is sometimes referred to as backfill. Retaining walls can be constructed of many different materials and with a variety of building techniques. Below is a list of information on retaining walls, their structure and their different types.
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