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10 Foot Retaining Wall Idea - Sheet Piling Design

28K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  Markford 
#1 ·
I have a pretty steep slope hill that I need to cut into and build a garage. The slope is about a 50 degree angle. Once the excavation is done I'll need a 10 foot retaining wall.

My plan for the retaining wall is to dig holes 6 feet deep by 12 inch diameter, full with concrete, and plant 18 foot 4 inch steel square tubes with a 1/4 inch wall every 8 feet. Then bolt steel flat slats about 6 inches wide to the tubes.

Would this be a good way to go, and be a strong enough wall for this type of slope?

Thanks.
 
#2 ·
You are probably over your head with a "seat of the pants" guess on the what is needed for a 10' high retaing wall. - You are illegal and could be sued by anyone that could possibly be affected by the effects of the failure.
 
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#4 · (Edited)
Lindeburg's book on the Civil Eng. PE exam is a good place to start. Your local library may have a copy. This topic may cover a whole page. You need soil properties. You also might want to look up "angle of repose."

IIRC, walls of this type can be pushed out of the way or tipped over and you want neither.

http://books.google.com/books?id=_m...&resnum=1&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
Sorry - several pages.
 
#5 ·
Contact a Geo-technical engineer. Without knowing any thing about your site what you are thinking about doing will not work. The general rule of thumb for a cantilever pile wall is 133% embediment with a lot heavier steel more like a W18x106. But that is just a guess. I have an engineer look and design all my projects after I tell him what I am trying to do.
 
#6 ·
Is this job for yourself or a customer ?? If this is for a customer, I would do what the others say, consult a geo-technical engineer. You have the right idea, except, the piles should go deeper. What thickness will the steel slats be ?? Bolting the slats will only work if they are bolted on the side where the dirt will be pushing on. That way, you do not have to rely on the strength of the bolts to hold the pressure.

IMO, I like concrete and would rather do a 16-18" poured wall with tie backs.
 
#8 ·
Here's another option. The comment above regarding bolting orientation - although ideal - is not practical without excavating the 'bank' prior to installing the retaining wall.
Wood and pipe can achieve similar results. Regardless engineering would be required. See pro-engineered/pro-installed picture below. Wall is 16' tall. Pipes/piles are 35' long. Threaded studs are welded to pipe.

I wouldn't reccomend self performing anything of this size.
 

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#9 · (Edited)
Had to look this one up.

Geotechnical engineering is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behaviour of earth materials. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotechnical_engineer

A person or firm that analyzes and inspects excavations, grading, compaction of soils, and the soil itself.
www.ucop.edu/facil/fmc/facilman/volume1/glossary.html

means an engineer with specialized training and knowledge of soils and rocks, employed to do soil investigations, design of structure foundations, and provide field observation.
www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/glossary/

Making use of the project site conditions, the successful applicant will be in charge of the anchor point type selection and sizing in order to safely anchor our mooring systems and other subsea facilities (PLEM, gravity bases, etc.) to be installed in both shallow and very deep waters.
www.offshore-consulting.fr/recruitment.php

The branch of engineering dealing with the soil and bedrock, especially aspects of foundations and earthworks.
www.cnnfoundationtech.com/glossary.html

What bothers me is that I hardly have seen a vertical retaining wall anywhere that wasn't leaning in the wrong direction, some so much that I didn't want to go near them.
This, despite all our soil science and computers.

http://www.versa-lok.com/legal
 
#11 ·
guess your in usa, standard practice heare is excavate then pour slab with rebar the wall would be .300 thick or a foot in old money the starter bars for the wall need to 16mm front and back face 50 mm cover use a 40kn concrete well compacted, this will hold anything, use she bolts to prevent water and a quality membrane, bitumin on a roll and a four inch perforated drainaige pipe
 
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