Table of Contents
- 1 Retaining walls and Breast walls
- 1.1 Retaining walls.
- 1.1.1 Retaining wall Terminology
- 1.1.1.1 Backfill:
- 1.1.1.2 Backfill slope:
- 1.1.1.3 Batter:
- 1.1.1.4 Dowels:
- 1.1.1.5 Footing (or foundation):
- 1.1.1.6 Footing key:
- 1.1.1.7 Grade:
- 1.1.1.8 Heel:
- 1.1.1.9 Horizontal temperature/shrinkage reinforcing:
- 1.1.1.10 Keyway:
- 1.1.1.11 Principal reinforcing:
- 1.1.1.12 Retained height:
- 1.1.1.13 Stem:
- 1.1.1.14 Surcharge:
- 1.1.1.15 Toe:
- 1.1.1.16 Weep holes:
- 1.1.2 Breast Walls.
- 1.1.1 Retaining wall Terminology
- 1.2 Share this:
- 1.3 Like this:
- 1.4 Related
- 1.1 Retaining walls.
Content of The Article :
Retaining walls and Breast walls, Retaining walls,Retaining wall Terminology,Back fill,Back fill slope,Batter,Dowels,Footing, Footing key,Weep wholes, Grade, Heel, Horizontal temperature/shrinkage reinforcing, Keyway, Principal reinforcing, Retained height, Stem, Surcharge, Toe, Breast Walls.
Retaining walls and Breast walls
Retaining walls.
The walls constructed for retaining or supporting earth against their back are called retaining walls. Earth cannot remain vertical but would be in a state of equilibrium when it assumes a natural angle which is called angle of repose. If it is desired to be retain the earth vertically, that portion of the earth will have to be supported by a wall called retaining wall. The back of the wall is in the form of steps and the face of the retaining wall may be either vertical or battered. The width at the base will depend upon the height of earth to be retained as the more the height, the greater will be the pressure at the base and the top can be kept 2 bricks thick .
Retaining wall Terminology

Backfill:
Backfill slope:
Batter:
Dowels:
Footing (or foundation):
Footing key:
Grade:
Heel:
Horizontal temperature/shrinkage reinforcing:
Keyway:
Principal reinforcing:
Retained height:
Stem:
Surcharge:
Toe:
Weep holes:
Breast Walls.
A breast wall is constructed to protect the natural sloping ground from the cutting action of natural agents. Breast walls also prevent slides of unreliable soils. The breast walls may be 0’6 m wide at the top. Weep holes should be provided at regular interval among the length of the wall to relieve the walls of saturated earth pressure. The breast wells are so designed that their line of pressure should be normal to the earth pressure or thrust. (See Fig. 2.50)


