The Long Term Performance of Embedded Retaining Walls (TRL 381)

Much of the urban development in the UK is founded on heavily overconsolidated sedimentary clays, which are particularly susceptible to swelling and softening following the reduction in stress caused by retaining wall construction. Moreover, the low permeability of these clays means the swelling and softening is likely to extend over many years or decades following completion of construction. For these reasons, design of embedded walls for long term stability may be critical. This report describes the results from continued monitoring over many years of various embedded retaining structures instrumented by TRL.