Report No. : Geoguide 1

Report Title : Guide to Retaining Wall Design

Author : Geotechnical Engineering Office

Abstract

This Geoguide presents a recommended standard of good practice for the design of retaining walls in Hong Kong. The geotechnical standards set out in this Geoguide are for new permanent earth retaining walls on land. The Geoguide covers the types of retaining walls which are commonplace in Hong Kong, including conventional reinforced concrete walls, gravity walls such as crib walls, gabion walls and mass concrete walls, and cantilevered retaining walls. It does not aim to deal comprehensively with maritime structures nor structures used to support the sides of deep excavations, such as sheet pile walls. The recommendations given herein are also not intended for retaining wall design which is outside existing experience derived from practice in Hong Kong. In giving recommendations on design this Geoguide adopts the limit state method with partial factors of safety.

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