Analysis and Design of Earth Retaining Structures

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Classify soils and evaluate key soil properties relevant to retaining wall design
• Analyze earth pressures, stresses, and shear strength for different soil conditions
• Design gravity and rigid retaining walls to resist sliding, overturning, and bearing failure
• Assess settlement and global stability for retaining wall systems
• Apply practical design and construction considerations, including backfilling, compaction, and geosynthetic solutions

Description

Retaining walls play a critical role in supporting infrastructure, excavation, and earthworks projects. Engineers are routinely required to design retaining systems that must safely resist earth pressures while accounting for soil behaviour, groundwater conditions, and construction constraints. Errors or oversights in retaining wall design can lead to excessive settlement, instability, or costly remediation.

This course provides a structured and practical approach to the analysis and design of rigid retaining walls, grounded in fundamental soil mechanics principles. Participants will review key concepts such as soil classification, effective stress, shear strength, and groundwater flow, and learn how these factors directly influence earth pressures and wall performance.

Through applied examples and design-focused discussion, the course guides participants through the evaluation, design, and construction considerations of gravity and rigid retaining walls, including bearing capacity, settlement, and global stability. The course also introduces mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) and geosynthetic wall systems, equipping participants with practical knowledge they can apply immediately in professional practice.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for:

• Civil and geotechnical engineers involved in earthworks and structural design
• Engineering technologists and technicians supporting geotechnical or infrastructure projects
• Early‑career to intermediate engineers seeking stronger foundational design skills

Professionals responsible for the analysis, design, or review of retaining wall systems

Day I

Review of Soil Mechanics

• Index properties of soils and soil classification
• The flow of water in the soil
• Effective and total stresses
• Shear strength
• Estimation of lateral earth pressure for different soils
• Analysis and design of gravity and rigid walls against sliding and overturning

Day II

Rigid Retaining Walls Design and Construction

• Gravity and rigid walls: Bearing capacity
• Gravity and rigid walls: Settlement
• Global Stability Analyses of Retaining Walls
• MSE and Geosynthetic walls
• Backfilling and compaction
• Design considerations