Retaining Wall Type Selection: MSE
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSE | MSE_geogrid | excellent — modular face options | granular select fill required; PI < 6; >100% standard Proctor; <15% passing No.200 | 0.00 to 0.02 | fast | internal drainage critical; geocomposite drains at face preferred | any compactable foundation; MSE tolerates differential settlement | 80 | 24.4 | 5 | 1.5 | Most economical wall type 5–40 ft for fill conditions; geogrid or geotextile reinforcement on 1–2 ft vertical spacing; modular concrete block or precast panel facing; FHWA NHI-10-024 design guide; PK record covers geogrid and geotextile reinforcement variants | 2 | large — reinforced soil zone extends 0.6–0.8H behind face | excellent — flexible system; proven in Northridge and Kobe earthquakes | highway embankment walls; bridge abutments; noise barriers; commercial sites; any fill-side application |
| MSE | MSE_steel_strip | good — precast concrete panel face | select granular fill with resistivity >3000 ohm-cm; pH 5–10; <15% fines; PI < 6 | 0.00 | moderate | drainage layer at face; strip corrosion allowance in design | any compactable foundation; tolerates moderate settlement | 80 | 24.4 | 8 | 2.4 | Proprietary Reinforced Earth system (Terre Armee); galvanized ribbed steel strips; precast concrete panel facing; design per AASHTO 11.10; corrosion allowance = 1 mm/side per 75yr design life for pH 5–10 soil | 3 | large — reinforced zone 0.6–0.8H behind face | excellent — reinforced earth; proprietary Reinforced Earth system; good seismic history | highway fills; bridge abutments where electrochemical soil criteria are met; tall walls >40 ft |
| MSE | segmental_retaining_wall | excellent — wide block aesthetic variety | select granular fill; PI<6; <35% fines acceptable for SRW | 0.03 to 0.12 | fast | open-faced block provides drainage; filter fabric at geogrid layers | firm native soil; bearing capacity >1500 psf | 25 | 7.6 | 1 | 0.3 | Dry-stacked concrete masonry units; NCMA design method; geogrid reinforced above 4 ft typical; proprietary systems (Allan Block / Versa-Lok / Keystone / Redi-Rock); economical for residential scale | 1 | moderate — geogrid extends 0.6H behind face | good — flexible block system; geogrids essential for seismic zones for H>5 ft | residential retaining walls; commercial landscaping; grade changes up to 20 ft with geogrid; parking structures |
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