Solid and hollow breast walls

1. What is a breast wall and how does it differ from a retaining wall?

A breast wall is a structure designed to support the face of a natural earth bank and to prevent slides if soils are unstable. In addition to this primary role, a breast wall can also be an aesthetic feature.

What is the main difference between a breast wall and a retaining wall?
The difference between these two types of structures is in the construction of the foundation. A retaining wall is intended to retain earth pressure against an artificially cut edge or excavation edge in soil, i.e. to support ground that needs to be in a vertical position, and its footings are behind the wall. A breast wall sustains earth against a natural slope and its footings are laid at the front of the wall. The picture below shows the difference.

2. Building a breast wall

The construction of a breast wall is fundamentally no different from the construction of a retaining wall. When building a breast wall, the pressure of the soil that it must withstand must be taken into account and, on the basis of this calculation, the size of the foundations can be determined, as well as the necessary strength of reinforcement and the quality of concrete, i.e. primarily the concrete grade, if building a reinforced concrete breast wall. A breast wall can be made of concrete, reinforced concrete, or stone.

Firstly, a pit is excavated for the foundations. This is filled to a certain height with an aggregate, which must then be thoroughly compacted. Once prepared, wooden formwork is placed along with steel reinforcement. Reinforcement usually consists of steel bars connected together to form a rebar cage. Then concrete is poured into the formwork. Once the concrete has completely cured, a breast wall can be constructed relatively quickly. Some contractors do not use formwork, but just pour the concrete into the construction pit, which should definitely be avoided.

When the breast wall has been built, drainage pipes with filters need to be installed to remove atmospheric and groundwater. When building a breast wall, waterproofing is also a vital feature that should not be ignored as it prevents water penetrating the deeper layers of the soil and hence avoids various types of damage, corrosion, and cracking.

3. Breast walls – price

The price of a breast wall depends mostly on the contractor, the materials used, and the dimensions of the wall itself.

However, its similarities to a retaining wall mean its price is also no different from that of a retaining wall. 
Call daibau.ng today and get a free quote for the construction of a breast wall and retaining wall.