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Civil Engineering/40' Tall Retaining Wall

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Expert: - 6/29/2009


Question
Hi Arshad..
This is an emergency.. can you please tell me how to design a 40' high cantilever retaining wall.. The proportions that I am getting from calculations are MASSIVE. i have also tried to proportion it as Counterfort but no use..
Any remedy??

Thanks

Answer
Hi Umar,

Without knowing details of what you are retaining (properties of soil, ground water level, surcharge, etc), I cannot advise you properly. However, a cantilever wall of such height will need to be about 1.2m thick at the base, but it can taper uniformly to be say 300mm thick at the top. Counterforts will help to reduce overall materials, but the design and construction will be more complex.

Alternatives to consider are Gabions or reinforced retained earth, using geotextiles and synthetic tie-backs.

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Arshad Khan

Expertise

I can answer any questions to do with civil and structural engineering consultancy and construction industry in East Africa and the Middle East, and specifically with the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures. My particular expertise is in the aseismic design and optimisation of tall buildings.

Experience

Employment history: 36 years in Construction and consultancy in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Africa, Somalia, Zambia, Austria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and the U.A.E.

Organizations
.Fellow of Institution of Structural Engineers (UK) .Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers(UK) .Member of the Institution of Engineers, Kenya .Registered Engineer, ERB, Kenya .Member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (Engineers Chapter) .Chartered Engineer (UK)

Publications
•1984: International Conference on the Art and Practice of Structural Design, London •1994: 3rd Int. Kerensky Conference in Structural Engineering, Singapore •2008: International Conference on High-Rise Towers, Abu Dhabi

Education/Credentials
BSc, 1st Class Hons, in Building Engineering, University of Bath, UK MSc in Concrete Structures and Technology, University of London. Diploma of Imperial College, UK.

Awards and Honors
•Science Congress Special Award (for 2-seater Hovercraft - 1968) •Institution of Civil Engineers Award for outstanding performance at Bath University (1975) •Concrete Society Postgraduate study Bursary Award (1976) •Consular Representative for British High Commission, Nairobi. (1995 to 1998) •Examiner for Institution of Civil Engineers Professional Interviews, Nairobi. (1997 to 1998) •Branch Representative in Vienna for PI assessment for Inst. of Struct. Engrs. (1999 to date)

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