FIGURE 11.1 Common types of retaining walls. (a) Gravity walls of stone, brick, or plain
concrete. Weight provides overturning and sliding stability. (b) Cantilevered wall. (c)
Counterfort retaining wall or buttressed retaining wall. If backfill covers counterforts, the
wall is termed a counterfort retaining wall. (d) Crib wall. (e) Semigravity wall (often steel
reinforcement is used). ( f ) Bridge abutment. (Reproduced from Bowles, 1982; with permission
of McGraw-Hill, Inc.)