Concrete Retaining Walls

Gibbs Concrete has the knowledge, equipment and experience to construct or repair existing retaining walls. The above project was a retaining wall repair for a loyal client in Marianna, Florida. Our team has the skill required to form and pour a perfect retaining wall. There are many things that can go wrong in a retaining wall installation so selecting the right concrete contractor is essential in meeting your project expectations and specifications. Please call Gibbs Concrete at 850-557-0753 today to discuss your concrete retaining wall requirements.

Poured Concrete Retaining Walls

Retaining walls are a versatile tool for geotechnical engineers, enabling construction on or along slopes and on sites with limited space. Retaining walls come in all types, shapes and sizes – from simple gravity retaining walls to bored pile walls for earth retaining walls using geogrids to suit a wide range of project needs, and site conditions. In all cases, Gibbs Concrete has the knowledge, experience and equipment to perform both residential and commercial retaining wall needs.

The Purpose of Retaining Walls

A retaining wall is a engineered wall that holds back earth and water on one side of it. For above ground retaining walls, retaining walls are vertical, or near-vertical, structures designed to create level areas on sloping sites. They primarily used to reinforce soil, increase its bearing capacity and increase the soil’s resistance to differential settlement. Retaining walls are designed to restrain soil, or engineering fill, at an angle steeper that the material’s angle of repose – the steepest angle it can hold naturally, without failing. To accomplish this, retaining walls need to be able to withstand the horizontal – or lateral – earth pressure, exerted by the material being retained.

Types of Retaining Walls

The type of retaining wall best suited for a residential or commercial project will depend upon a variety of factors. There are 4 basic types of retaining wall construction, as follows…

Gravity Retaining Walls: These types of retaining walls utilize the gravitational force of their weight to resist the lateral earth pressure from the soil behind them which will prevent toppling and sliding. We build gravity retaining walls using concrete and other materials per project specifications.
Cantilever Retaining Walls: These types of retaining walls are constructed using reinforced concrete, with an L-shaped, or inverted T-shaped, foundation. It consists of a stem and a base slab which sits under the backfill. The vertical stress behind the retaining wall is transferred onto the foundation preventing toppling due to lateral pressure from the same soil mass allowing cantilever walls to stand unobstructed.
Embedded Retaining Walls: These types of retaining walls extend deeper that the excavation to take advantage of the passive earth pressure of the ground below. These retaining walls work by counteracting the active earth pressure being exerted on the retaining wall above. There is additional support provided to these types of retaining walls by internal propping usually from a base slab, ground slab and any intermediate floor slabs – and sometimes with ground anchors through the retaining wall.
Reinforced Soil Retaining Walls: Reinforced soil retaining walls are constructed using layers of geogrid to reinforce the soil into a stabilised mass. This will increase the bearing capacity of the retaining structure, along with the resistance to differential settlement.