Lessons Learned from Failures: The Wall of Shame

With the ever increasing number of segmental retaining walls being constructed, the number of failures associated with these structures is also increasing. The failures of these structures can vary from catastrophic failures to unacceptable performance in terms of distress. Failures can be the result of the design activities or construction of the retaining wall or a hybrid of both. Design-related failures are often attributed to a lack of understanding of site conditions, improper geotechnical parameters considered, or a lack of understanding of subsurface conditions. Lack of coordination between the wall designer, the site civil engineer, and/or the project geotechnical engineer is attributed to many design failures. Many design-related failures can be attributed to the presence of water either within the retained soils or at the toe of the wall, leading to unaccounted for hydrostatic pressures behind the retaining wall or scour, respectively. Construction related failures may be related to a deviation from the contract documents, lack of storm water control during construction, poor quality control or a lack of engineering. The paper will feature numerous case histories discussing failures associated with design related and construction related failures. By illustrating the variations of segmental retaining wall failures, the number of failures associated with segmental retaining walls may be reduced.