Types of Retaining Walls

A gravity wall is a wall designed on mass and weight of the materials in the wall. Gravity walls require no tiebacks and are usually applicable in a "cut slope" situation.

Gravity walls will save considerable cost on excavation and structural backfill. Ultrablock LOCK-BLOCK® gravity walls have been successfully designed and built to 27.5' tall- including a wall for the Bonneville Power Administration.

MSE Walls, or tieback walls, are best used in "fill" slope situations. They are built with a combination of blocks and geogrid tiebacks.

Ultrablock units are an excellent replacement for small block walls as an installer is able to place 12 square feet of face at a time. Typical installation estimates are 10-12 blocks per hour.

MSE walls incorporate GEOGRID products to reinforce the wall. These grids allow walls to be built vertically, with a minimum amount of block. MSE walls are best used in a "fill" slope situation. For more information on GEOGRID products see the links below:

A conventional gravity wall
can be built by increasing the
width of the wall in the
lower levels as the wall
increases in height