CT4 FINAL NOTES

L6 BASEMENT
L7 RETAINING WALL
- A retaining wall is a structure that holds or retains soil behind it
- they are designed and constructed to withstand lateral pressure of soil or hold back
soil materials

Components of retaining wall

1. Stem
• Vertical part in cantilever retaining wall
• Resists pressure from backfill side & bends like a cantilever
2. Heel slab
• Acts as horizontal cantilever to resists soil pressure acting from soffit
• To increase the weight of retaining wall
• Soil above heel slab behave as part of the wall & provide weight at the base of the
footing
• Length of heel slab larger than toe slab
• Located inside the wall where soil mass must be kept in place
3. Toe slab
• Acts as horizontal cantilever to resist lateral pressure exerted by soil, which can
cause the retaining wall to overturn
4. Shear key
• To provide resistance to sliding forces/horizontal forces that act on wall
• Frictional force is created between soil and shear key, preventing the wall from
sliding forward/backward

Alternatives to retaining wall

1. Crib wall
• precast concrete or timber blocks that are stacked to form a series of rectangular
hollow cells.
• The cells are then filled with compacted soil or stone, creating a stable mass that
resists the lateral pressure of the soil or other material being retained.
 • relatively easy and quick to install, requiring minimal excavation and no concrete
pouring.
• Cost effective as precast concrete is less expensive than other materials
• often used in situations where space is limited, or where the retained material is
not suitable for reinforced concrete retaining walls.
2. Gabion wall
• constructed using wire mesh baskets, called gabions
• wire mesh baskets are typically made from galvanized steel, which resists
corrosion and rusting, and the rocks or other materials used to fill the baskets
provide additional protection
• Baskets are cage shaped and are closed on all sides
• Mainly used for soil stabilization behind the wall & stabilize steep slopes
• Application mostly in road engineering (road construction, retaining wall, slope
protection, water barriers)
3. Cellular confinement system
• Horizontal deployment of geocells, which are interconnected 3D honeycomb-like
structures typically made of HDPE
• an effective way to establish retaining walls and embankments quickly and
efficiently.
• The outer strip of geocells can be filled with various materials such as sand,
gravel, stones, or even concrete, or allowing for vegetation to grow and blend into
the local landscape.
• Geocell retaining walls are structurally stable under their own weight and
externally imposed loads, while the flexibility of the structure offers very high
seismic resistance.
• CCS are also used for steep earth stabilization in gravity and reinforced retaining
walls with geogrids.
4. Soil nailing
• Soil nail can prevent landslides by inserting grouted, tension resisting steel
reinforcement bars into the soil and anchoring them to the soil strata
• to reinforce soils and create a gravity retaining wall for permanent or temporary
excavation support
• The technique involves drilling holes into the soil and then inserting and grouting
in the nails or rods at an angle, typically between 10 and 30 degrees from
horizontal.
• provides lateral support to the soil, preventing it from collapsing or sliding

L11 WATERPROOFING SPECIALIST WORK

L12 BUILDING ENVELOPE
L2 SHORING
L3 UNDERPINNING
PRACTICE
Basement excavation support
1. Sheet piling
a. Sheet piles are sheet materials with interlocking edges which are driven into
ground for earth retention and excavation support
b. They are mostly made by steel
c. Comprises a row of piles which interlocks with each other to form continuous
wall which may be temporary or permanent
d. Mostly used in waterfront structures and river bank protection, excavation
support for basements
e. Light in weight, easier for lifting and installation
f. Can be installed by silent and vibration free methods
g. Quicker installations
h. Can be recycled and reused
i. Available in various sizes and length
j. Construction process:
i. Guide beam is placed on the ground to set out position of sheet piles
wall
ii. Piling rig lift up and drives first sheet pile into the ground, leaving 1m
length of the pile above ground level
iii. Piling rig drives second sheet pile into the ground, which interlocks
with the first sheet pile
iv. Repeat 2nd and 3rd process until the required length of sheet wall pile is
reached
v. If the first set of sheet pile is not long enough to reach the required
level, an extension sheet pile might be needed. This is done by welding
the end of existing sheet pile in the ground with second set of sheet
pile. The combined piles are driven into the ground together
2. Reinforced concrete diaphragm wall
a. Diaphragm wall is a reinforced concrete structure constructed in-situ panel by
panel
b. It is a continuous wall constructed in ground used for various construction
activities such as retaining wall, as a final wall for basement and other
underground structures, support deep foundations
c. Construction process:
i. Construct a guide wall that serves as template for wall excavation. The
guide wall is used to support top of trench, as a platform to hang
reinforcement, support tremie pipe and holds down cage during
concreting
ii. Excavation of diaphragm wall panels in vertical segments using
clamshell/grab equipment. minimum length of panel depends on the
grab equipment size, typically around 3m
iii. Bentonite slurry are added into the trench to support stability of
surrounding soil
iv. Stop ends are installed to control concrete placement, they can be
either permanent or temporary
v. Reinforcement are installed in the form of steel cage, which may
require lapping at certain sections to reach the required length
vi. Concrete are poured using tremie pipe to prevent segregation of
concrete
 vii. Bentonite slurry are displaced during concrete pouring due to their
lower density than concrete, which are then collected and reused.
3. Contiguous bored pile
a. Consists of pile arranged in a line, the gap between each pile is 150mm
b. Secant piles are similar to contiguous pile, except that they have 2 adjacent
piles, hard pile and soft pile interlocking with each other
c. Female piles are inserted at suitable spacing, which allows male piles to be
inserted in between
d. The gaps between piles are grouted
e. Used as basement wall
f. Used to support large excavations
g. Construction process:
i. Wooden pegs are places in center position of contiguous piles, the
distance between each pile are between 100-200mm
ii. Casing of the contiguous pile are driven into ground by vibro-hammer,
leaving 1m of the casing protruding from ground level
iii. Auger is used to remove soil within the casing to form a bore hole.
Casing is used to support surrounding soil, if the casing is not long
enough to reach the required level, bentonite slurry are added to
support soil below the casing
iv. Crane lifts the steel cage reinforcement, and place it within the bore
hole
v. Concrete is poured into the bore hole to form the bore pile
vi. Vibro-hammer is used to remove the casing
vii. Steps 2-6 are repeated until the required wall length of contiguous piles

Underpinning
• Improve old foundation system by enlarging/deepen existing foundation system
1. Pit method
a. Construct temporary foundation system around existing foundation system
b. Excavate earth below existing foundation to form a pit, the loads are
transferred to the temporary foundation
c. Fill the pit with concrete
d. Once the concrete has set, the loads can be transferred to the improved
foundation system
2. Needle beam method (New beam is constructed at right angles to the existing
foundation system & is pushed into the existing foundation wall)
a. 2 micropiles are constructed at specific distance from the existing foundation,
this is done with a micropiling rig
b. A hole with the size of the needle beam is formed at the existing foundation
wall
c. Needle beam is constructed above the micropiles, going through the hole in
foundation wall
d. Once the beam is set, backfill the remaining area with soil, the loads can then
be transferred to the improved foundation system
3. Micropiling method (micropiles are deep foundation friction piles constructed using
high strength steel casing)
a. Construct a micropile at an angle just below the existing foundation
b. Excavate the earth above the micropile
 c. Manually remove all earth between micropile and the existing foundation,
creating a cone-shaped void
d. The void is filled with concrete
e. Once the concrete has set, backfill the remaining area with soil, then the load
can be transferred to the improved foundation

characteristic of green building envelope

1. responsive
a. building envelopes are designed to adapt to surrounding environments, take
advantage of external conditions to create comfortable indoor environments
b. for example, additional acoustic treatment may be added to eliminate noise
and provide quieter indoor spaces
c. strong visual and physical connection are made through balconies, windows
and external doors for human comfort
d. the responsiveness of building envelope allows maximum use of energy and
resources, reducing impact to environment
2. dynamic
a. to achieve optimum condition of building, building envelope are dynamic and
adapt to changing conditions
b. during summer, the envelope provides shading and shelter to minimize
unwanted heat gain
c. during winter, the envelope allows heat to enter the building to warm the
indoor spaces
3. controllable
a. green building provides user with greater control over local environments
b. for example, there are large number of operable windows which allows
occupants to easily open and close them
c. controllable internal blinds and external solar shading to maximize internal
daylight quality and avoid glare
4. ecological
a. green building envelope supports development of ecosystem such as habitats
for plants and animals
b. envelope can be used to provide habitat for animals such as birds
c. roof and balconies can be planted with vegetation to provide green space
5. breathing wall
a. designers of building envelope try to achieve performance quality same as
good outdoor clothing
b. outer layer, raincoat, provides protection from weather conditions
c. middle layer, jersey, provides warmth and thermal insulation
d. inner layer, vest, removes extra moisture
6. energy
a. green building envelope provides excellent opportunity to generate renewable
energy for building use
b. these are done through photovoltaic, water heating panel, wind turbines
c. they are integrated into the building design ideally to minimize material use
7. microclimate
a. green building envelope is used to support development of local microclimate
b. building envelopes may be used to create sheltered, sunlit spaces around the
building as amenity area for occupants
 c. they may also be used to create vegetation, shaded areas which allows cool,
fresh air to be drawn into the building

alternative to retaining wall

1. Crib wall
a. Made using precast concrete or timber blocks that are stacked together to form
rectangular hollow cells
b. The hollow cells are filled using compacted soils or gravel, rocks
c. Used to resist lateral force from soil pressure
d. Easy to install as does not require large excavations
e. Cost effective as precast concrete is cheaper than concrete pouring
2. Gabion wall
a. Consists of wire steel mesh baskets, called gabions
b. Wire steel mesh is made of galvanised steel which can resist corrosion
c. The basket are cage shaped, enclosed on all 4 sides
d. The baskets are filled rocks with to provide additional protection
e. Used for soil stabilization behind the walls & stabilize steep slopes
f. Normally used for road construction, retaining wall, etc.
3. Cellular confinement system
a. Horizontal deployment of geocells, consists of 3D honeycomb-like structures
which are normally made of HDPE or other plastic materials
b. The geocells are stacked together to form retaining wall to prevent soil from
collapsing
c. outer strip of geocell could be filled with sand, gravel, stones, concrete, or
vegetations or other materials, increasing the environmental and aesthetic
element of the retaining wall
d. they are stable under their own weight or other external imposed load, while
the flexibility of the structure offers high seismic resistance
e. used for steep earth stabilization in gravity
4. soil nailing
a. soil nail can prevent landslides by inserting grouted, tension resisting steel
reinforcement into soil, anchoring them to the soil strata
b. this is to reinforce soil to create gravity retaining wall to provide permanent or
temporary excavation support
c. this involves drilling holes in the soil, then inserting and grouting the nails at
an angle into the soil
d. to provide lateral support to the soil

WC waterproofing process
1. preparation
a. ensure completion of chasing of concealed G.I. piping
b. clean WC thoroughly with sufficient amount of water
c. remove all debris from WC
d. completion of making holes for floor trap, p-trap connecting to external
drainage line
2. socketing
a. fill WC slab with min water of 7cm depth, left overnight for at least 12 hrs
b. check for leakages
 c. if there is a major leakage, locate the spot with porous concrete
d. a socket is created at the leakage spot, and the socket is filled with cement
slurry to create a waterproofing seal
e. socketing and grouting process is continued until the leakage is completely
stopped
f. after the process is done, socket can be removed
3. coating
a. prepare cement mortar base coat with 1:4 ratio with 25mm-40mm thickness,
with 1:100 slope from entrance door to water drainpipe
b. apply the base coat to all walls up to 45cm height from WC floor slab level
c. after applying the coat, water is filled until slab drop top & left for min. 4 days
for curing & testing purposes
4. brick bat coat
a. well-burnt brick bats are selected and soaked in water for at least half an hour
b. the brick bats are laid on edges, not on flat surface
c. gaps between brick bats are filled with mortar
d. finish the brick bat coat by filling joints with cement mortar of 1:6 ratio mixed
with waterproofing compound
e. allow 1:100 sloping from entrance door to water drainpipe
f. allow curing for min. 4 days
5. topping coat
a. complete the topping coat with 1:4 cement mortar mixed with waterproofing
compound
b. finish the coat with neat cement slurry by metal float
c. roughen the surface with wire brush for bonding horizontal filler coat
d. this coat is applied to side walls up to 45cm height from WC floor slab level
e. allow curing for 7 days, with water up to 7.5cm depth
6. pan fixing & finishing
a. fix the WC pan at required level, considering 15mm sunk from floor level
b. block the p-trap with gunny bags & fill WC pan with sand to prevent damage
c. fill the extra gap around WC pan with brick bats & mortar, this layer is at least
7.5cm below top of WC pan
d. allow curing for min 3 days
e. the final topping coat is applied at least 5cm below top of WC pan, with a
slight slope towards WC pan
f. continuous curing for min. 7 days with wet gunny bags

1. preparing
a. complete making holes for floor trap, p-trap connecting to external drainage
line
2. socketing
a. fill WC slab, 7cm water, 12 hrs
b. porous concrete
c. cement slurry
3. coating
a. cement mortar base coat 1:4 ratio, 25mm-40mm thickness, 1:100 slope
b. wall, 45cm height
c. fill water to slab drop top, curing 4 days
4. brick bat coat
a. well burnt brick bats, selected & soaked
 b. laid on edges
c. fill joints with 1:6 cement mortar, mixed with waterproofing compound, 1:100
slope
d. ponding water 4 days
5. topping coat
a. complete topping coat 1:4 ratio mixed with waterproofing compound
b. neat cement slurrt by metal float
c. roughen surface with wire brush for bonding of horizontal filler coat
d. walls 45cm height
e. curing for min 7 days with water depth of 7.5cm
6. pan fixing & finishing
a. fix WC to required level, considering 15mm sunk
b. block p trap, gunny bags, sand
c. fill extra gap brick bat & mortar, 7.5cm below top of WC slab
d. final topping coat 5cm below top of WC slab, allow slightly slope towards
WC pan
e. curing for 7 days with wet gunny bags