In a cantilever retaining wall, the main steel reinforcement is provided

Concept:

A counterfort retaining wall is a cantilever wall with counterforts, or buttresses, attached to the inside face of the wall to further resist lateral thrust.

• In the counterfort retaining wall, the stem and the base and the base slab are tied together by counterforts, at suitable intervals
• Because of the provision of counterforts, the vertical stem, as well as the heel slab, acts as a continuous slab, in contrast to the cantilevers of cantilever retaining wall
• Counterforts are firmly attached to the face slab as well as the base slab; The earth pressure acting on the face slab is transferred to the counter forts which deflect as vertical cantilevers
• The back of the rear counter forts comes in tension and their front face is under compression
• Hence the inclined (back) face of rear counter forts should be provided with main reinforcement and in front counterforts, the tension develops at the bottom face so it is provided with main reinforcement
• Counterfort retaining walls are economical for height over about 6m