A few principles to remember about retaining structures

Indispensable for the protection of construction, the safety of users, the delimitation of land, or the support of powdery materials, retaining structures meet various needs. However, their construction must meet current safety and construction standards. Read more on calcul de dallage dtu et calcul de fondations superficielles Eurocodes.

What is a retaining structure?

Retaining structures are structures that create a difference in level between the land located upstream and the land downstream of the structure. Also called retaining walls, their main function is to contain the earth on the surface upstream of the structure, thanks to their stone, brick, sometimes reinforced concrete or steel structure.

In all cases, the retaining structures must be strong enough to withstand the multiple pressures that will weigh on them. For this, they must include a solid foundation and a self-supporting wall whose construction is carefully calculated to be able to contain the materials upstream.

What are retaining structures used for?

A retaining wall has multiple functions. It is used, among other things, to:

• Protect a construction, for example a house or a road, from the risks of rockslides, landslides or erosion;
• Install a delimitation of a land, a fence or a noise barrier;
• Structure a natural bank to have a dock;
• Create a cultivable area, especially in the case of terraced crops or a horizontal flower bed;
• Build underground car parks or foundations (especially high-rise buildings).
• How to design a retaining structure?
• The installation of a retaining structure must comply with the rules to avoid any risk of collapse.

Study the nature of the soil

It all starts with a study of the soil, because the retaining wall must be strong enough to withstand the pressure of the materials to be supported. Precisely, the nature of the ground plays a role in the level of pressure exerted on the wall; thus a soil composed of clay, peat or mud will be much heavier and will exert greater pressure, especially since it will be able to retain water for longer (from rain, for example).