The cantilever retaining wall is a type of retaining wall that utilizes cantilevers to hold back upper layers of soil. This type of retaining wall can be used in both residential and commercial applications, although it is most commonly seen in the latter. So, what are the pros and cons if cantilever retaining walls?
While there are many advantages to using a cantilever retaining wall, they also come with some disadvantages. Pros will outweigh the cons however when considering the potential advantages and disadvantages to this type of retaining wall.
One of the biggest advantages to using a cantilever retaining wall is that these walls are designed to hold back soil pressure, which can be very important for commercial and residential designs.
Cantilever retaining walls work in much the same way as other types of retaining walls, but there are some key differences. First off, cantilever retaining walls are usually much longer than other types of retaining walls. Because of this cantilevered design, cantilever retaining walls require more support behind them to keep the upper layers of soil from collapsing.
This article will be discussing on all you need to know about cantilever retaining wall together with the advantages and disadvantages of cantilever retaining walls.
What Is A Cantilever Retaining Wall?
A retaining wall is a structure designed and constructed to resist the lateral pressure of the soil when the desired ground elevation exceeds the angle of repose of the soil and these walls are used to support the soil laterally so that it can maintain different levels on both sides.
Retaining walls are built to stop water and soil from damaging buildings in an area.
There are various materials used to construct retaining walls such as concrete blocks, concrete, treated lumber, rocks or boulders. The material held or supported by a retaining wall is known as a backfill, its top surface may be horizontal or inclined. Retaining walls are used to make a structure visible.
There are a number of different types of cantilever retaining walls; wall thicknesses can vary from wide-flange to narrow-flange. They are ideal for areas with uneven foundations, slope or poor soil conditions.
Cantilever retaining walls should be used where there is no available ground water or adequate soil material close to the project site.
Cantilever retaining walls are built with an overhang on the ground, and this over hang is used to support the wall once it is built and after the initial back fill.
The main advantage of using a cantilever retaining wall is that they provide additional space for landscaping or other structures around the project site when compared to other types of retaining walls.
It is essential to recognize the limitations of cantilever retaining walls when it comes time for building them in your property. Cantilevers have the greatest limitations during construction, as they are long and difficult to work with from onset.
You must consider the height of the cantilever wall before you begin construction and make sure that there is enough soil behind it on both sides for anchoring.
Talking about retaining walls to hold soil/lateral pressure, some of the reasons behind lateral pressure are:
1. Earth Filling:
Earth is designed mainly to hold the soil and other materials above it in place with the help of this earth. With this, there are chances of producing lateral pressure against the walls that may cause instability on its own.
2. Liquid Pressure:
We may see the amount of water in a soil varies from place to place and level. This water in some cases may produce pressure on the retaining walls, which is not just limited to the earth walls but can also influence the stability of the wall itself.
3. Granular Materials Behind Retaining Walls:
There are certain areas which are designed with a pile of loose material. This pile of material is used to stop the walls from collapsing, but if the amount of these materials behind the walls varies, there can be dangerous pressure which may result in a fall or even collapse.
Moving on to the next topic, now we have known the meaning of a cantilever retaining wall and reasons behind constructing a retaining wall, let’s discuss about the pros and cons of cantilever retaining walls.
Pros And Cons Of Cantilever Retaining Walls
Here, we will be looking into the pros and cons of cantilever retaining walls but firstly, we will discuss about the pros of cantilever retaining walls and then the cons of cantilever retaining walls.
Pros Of Cantilever Retaining Walls
Some of the advantages of cantilever retaining walls are as follows:
1. Landscaping
The biggest advantage of using a cantilever retaining wall is that they are ideal to allow landscape features around the buildings when compared to other types of retaining walls.
Because there is an additional area for private or public areas, you can use this space to increase access and improve the safety of your structure. The structure should be built to accommodate landscaping design and can easily be integrated into a landscape plan.
The clients will have more places to enjoy the beauty of their yard, which makes it easier to generate more business in your area.
2. Aesthetic Appeal
Cantilever retaining walls are a better option if you want to add an aesthetic appeal to your structure. Because of the way these types of walls are designed, landscaping is easier and will look more natural.
This will give an attractive look to your structure and will add a lot of value to your property area.
3. Structure Flexibility
The flexibility of these types of walls is one of the other advantages. When compared to other types of retaining walls, these walls are more flexible in design. The flexibility allows you to use some portions as a canopy or fence and this also can be used often as a retaining wall.
This also makes these types of walls ideal for changing the direction of your retaining wall. This can be used to design a retaining wall that looks like a canopy, a fence or even a plain wall.
Read Also: Advantages And Disadvantages Of Bush Burning
Cons Of Cantilever Retaining Walls
Some of the disadvantages of cantilever retaining walls are as follows:
1. Possible Danger
There are a number of disadvantages of these retaining walls but one of the major ones is that it can be dangerous as it is long which causes some accessibility problems.
It can also be difficult to work with due to its size and the height can cause safety issues. So, if you wish to build a wall from this type of retaining wall, make sure that I have enough equipment and materials available for construction to make sure that there won’t be any risks involved in construction.
2. Difficult Poles
Another disadvantage of using this type of retaining wall is that it is difficult to set poles for support. In many cases, the amount required for support will depend on the design and material used. The type of poles that are used in a cantilever retaining wall will be different than the ones used in other types of retaining walls.
You may have to use long poles that can be designed with the correct amount of strength and the right sized material will be used. This can be difficult to estimate the amount required and they may not be able to support the structure.
3. Difficult To Construct
The construction process can be more difficult than other types of retaining walls. It has to be built in a very precise way, which is hard to find if you are not experienced or skilled about construction.
Also, the amount of soil required for anchoring must also be taken into consideration before you begin construction. The process of excavating is not easy and can damage the surrounding land during excavation.
4. More Expensive
Compared to other types of retaining walls, this type of wall is more expensive. You may have to use stronger materials and stronger poles which can be costly if you are not experienced.
If you want to build a holding wall that can support heavy load for a long period, then these are more suitable because of the amount of strength and durability. So, the length of this type of retaining walls will be different than the other types when compared to other types. They can be longer or shorter than others depending on their purpose.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed the meaning of a cantilever retaining wall and the reasons behind constructing a retaining wall along with the pros and cons of cantilever retaining walls.
Building a cantilever retaining wall is not an easy task. It requires more than just good planning skills. There are many people who build these walls without any prior experience which results in a collapse.
The stability and the strength of this type of retaining wall depends on a number of factors, which include the size and the strength of the material used, the soil conditions, and the design. So, it is always recommended that you get expert help for your retaining wall building project.
A retaining wall is used to retain soil and they are built at slight angles to prevent the soil from slipping. The soil behind the retaining wall will be safe and will not cause any problem. You can have different types of retaining walls like a gravity retaining wall, gabion retaining wall, counter-fort retaining wall, cantilever retaining wall, etc.
