Embedded Retention Wall Design Practices Consequences and Measures

Embedded retention walls generally comprise vertical structural members, namely diaphragm walls, secant or contiguous walls, sheet piles or Berlin walls. These structural members are sufficiently embedded into the ground to make excavation pits stable. The stability of embedded walls significantly depends on the passive resistance of the soil. Inappropriate choice and misinterpretation of design soil parameters make the retention system design more complex. Even though a normal retention system falls under “no exceptional risk category” [1], usage of the improper method of analysis makes the wall unstable. A majority of deep excavations are installed in densely populated areas and the consequences of failures are immeasurable. Hence, a practicing engineer must have commendable knowledge of the usage of design parameters and the method of analysis to prevent failures. This paper illustrates parametric study on the performance of the wall focusing on the method of analysis, the effect of the water table, over dig, surcharge, soil stiffness, wall flexibility, and drained and undrained behavior of soil.