Development of a Post-tentioned Masonry Retaining Wall System

Abstract

A Retaining Wall is a commonly used structural element in the field of construction. A retaining wall is a structure constructed to hold back any material (mainly soil) and prevent it from failure. A retaining wall is capable of resisting the material pressure of the material that it is holding back. Random Rubble Masonry (RRM), Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) and Gabion Wall (GW) are the most common types of construction materials used in the construction of retaining walls. RRM & GW are gravity type retaining walls and they require significant width from the land. RCC retaining walls require large amount of tor steel reinforcement, concrete and vertical form work, which are costly. Masonry walls such as brick walls and block walls cannot be used as retaining walls as they cannot withstand the tensile stresses developed due to lateral earth pressure. This paper discusses the development of a masonry block wall system which can be used as a retaining wall by post-tensioning eccentrically. The compressive stresses developed due to post-tensioning is used to neutralize the tensile stresses developed due to lateral earth pressure. This system eliminates concrete and vertical formwork and minimizes steel usage. It has advantages such as cost effectiveness, pleasing aesthetic appearance and simplicity.