Structural Engineering: RE: Retaining wall extremes

Had a contractor backfill a basement retaining wall while the concrete was still green. The wall spanned horizontally between two side walls. The wall bowed inwards almost a foot over a span of about 30 feet. The contractor just took his backhoe, removed the fill, and then used the backhoe to shove the wall back into position. Since the concrete was still green during this operation, the wall went right back into place with no cracking. After the wall cured, cores were taken and the concrete met design strength and everybody lived happily ever after.

Bob Garner

From: Michel Blangy [mailto:mblangy@satco-inc.com]
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 7:53 AM
To: seaint@seaint.org
Subject: RE: Retaining wall extremes

I don't have much to offer beyond a typical basement wall design in Colorado with active pressures on the order of 75 ( they far surpass this in some parts I here), but I can tell you of many extreme reactions of the GC.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ganesh Thia [mailto:gastrtr@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 4:44 AM
To: seaint@seaint.org
Subject: Re: Retaining wall extremes

Dear All,

Can you please share some experiences in the EXTREMES of design of cantilever or gravity retaining walls that you may have desiged...especially with respect to geometry

(height, shear keys) and any soil or loading conditions...

Thanks in advance

Ganesh