Retaining Wall Type Selection: gravity
Retaining wall type selection decision matrix — 14 wall types across 7 structural categories (gravity, cantilever, MSE, sheet pile, soldier pile, in-situ soil nail, in-situ secant/diaphragm). Each record gives: practical height range, foundation requirements, backfill requirements, typical batter, relative cost index (1=lowest to 6=highest), construction speed, right-of-way requirements, aesthetics rating, seismic performance, drainage requirements, and typical applications. Sources: FHWA-NHI-07-071, AASHTO LRFD 9th Ed Sec 11, NAVFAC DM-7.2, Coduto Foundation Design 3rd Ed Ch.17, USACE EM 1110-2-2504.
| wall category | wall type | aesthetics rating | backfill requirement | batter typical | construction speed | drainage requirement | foundation requirement | height max ft (ft) | height max m (m) | height min ft (ft) | height min m (m) | notes | relative cost index (dimensionless) | row requirement | seismic performance | typical applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gravity | crib_wall_concrete | fair — modular appearance | granular free-draining fill inside cribs required | 0.04 to 0.06 | moderate | essential — open-crib or weep holes required | firm bearing soil; min bearing 2 ksf | 20 | 6.1 | 2 | 0.6 | Interlocking precast concrete stretcher/header units; base width ~0.6–0.8H; economical for 10–20 ft range; pre-engineered systems available | 2 | moderate — needs fill zone behind | moderate — interlocked modules provide redundancy | commercial sites; highway fills; waterfront walls; where speed of erection is important |
| gravity | gravity_concrete | fair | any granular or cohesive | 0.02 to 0.05 | moderate | weep holes minimum | bearing soil or rock | 20 | 6.1 | 1 | 0.3 | Mass self-weight provides stability; base width typically 0.5–0.7H; economical only at low heights; concrete volume becomes prohibitive above 6 ft | 2 | minimal | fair — heavy mass provides inertia resistance | low garden walls; small retaining walls; abutments under 6 ft |
| gravity | gravity_stone_gabion | good — natural appearance | granular clean fill preferred | 0.05 to 0.10 | fast | essential — free-draining granular required | compacted native or bearing soil | 15 | 4.6 | 1 | 0.3 | Wire-mesh gabion baskets filled with rock; flexible system tolerates differential settlement; permeable by nature providing passive drainage; NOT for surcharge loads >250 psf | 1 | minimal | moderate — flexible system tolerates seismic displacement | landscape retaining; slope protection; stream bank stabilization; temporary walls |
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