Retaining walls are the best way to keep a natural foundation in place. One has the freedom to build around it. But at the same time, the wall ensures there’s no chance of it all tumbling down. However, there are quite a few different variations on this standard.

Gravity walls

It’s important to keep in mind that every region has different needs. Retaining Wall design Dallas style will differ from another region. In general, because Retaining Wall design Dallas style would take the type of soil into account. That said, most areas will be able to get good use out of a standard gravity wall.

A gravity wall is usually quite thick and stiff. This means that they won’t bend. The weight of the wall provides a lateral force against the backfill. And the massive size of the wall ensures that there’s no additional tension. While this is the most common design the other variants have a lot to offer under different circumstances.

Cantilever walls

This type of wall does bend. It relies on the flexural strength in order to essentially push back against the force the earth places on it. This overall mass from the soil is in large part what keeps the wall stable. It’s something of a balancing act with gravity as a component in the design.

Mechanically stabilized earth walls

This type of wall, also known as an MSE wall, rivals gravity walls for ubiquity. Gravity walls are more common due to the age of the design. But MSE walls are catching up to them at a rapid pace. These walls use a granular support structure along with reinforcements. These reinforcements are usually plastic meshes or strips made of metal.

Sheet pile walls

This type of wall is usually best for waterfront structures. However, it’s also one of the more popular options when one is working with temporary construction. It’s usually made of either steel, plastic, wood or pre-cast concrete. It’s generally lighter than most of the other options.

Braced walls

This type of wall is named and defined by the use of a brace structure. It uses externally anchored braces to provide additional stability. The structures supported by a braced wall might also provide additional support.

Tieback walls

This style of wall uses anchors to attach it to the soil behind it. This creates a unique counter against bending movements. In fact, it’s often kept so low that fairly flexible sections can be used for support.

Crib walls

This type of wall is defined by a look that speaks of boxes tiled on top of each other. And in fact that’s exactly how they’re made. The boxes of a crib wall are filled with either crushed stone or a similar material. But no matter what options are chosen it’ll always be heavy and granular. This also provides a little more freedom if one wants to play around with the overall shape.

Finally, it’s important to always keep in touch with experts when considering any of these options. Some level of failure is always going to be part of the process. It’s simply the nature of how entropy works on complex systems. The earth will always move and the weather changes how things operate.

However, this is also why there are so many choices in retaining wall design. Every area has a particular strength and weakness to its geography. And likewise, each type of wall will perform differently in those circumstances. This is where an expert’s advice comes in. They’ll understand how these local conditions will impact both construction and overall costs.