Vista Monterey Soil Nails
Vista Monterey used top-down soil-nail and soldier-pile retaining walls. Nail lengths were limited by the property line, and the project changed to soldier piles where nail easements were unavailable.
Specialty structural engineering
Retaining Wall Engineering
Permanent retaining walls designed for the finished grades, nearby structures, and excavation needed to build them.
How it works
Permanent walls and temporary excavation support
A retaining wall holds a difference in ground elevation after construction. Its structural design uses the proposed grades, loads from nearby buildings or traffic, and the geotechnical recommendations for earth pressure, groundwater, and foundation support. Drainage and waterproofing need to fit those assumptions, but their design may be assigned to other consultants.
The finished wall cannot retain an excavation before it is built. Some projects use a separate temporary shoring system; others use permanent shoring designed to carry loads during construction as well as in the final condition. Wall position, property limits, and equipment access affect which arrangement can be built, especially at corners and changes in grade.
Site conditions
Retaining walls for developments, campuses, and hillside sites
On a development or campus site, a wall may hold finished grades beside a building, road, or terrace. Its position follows the site levels, property boundaries, and the space available for foundations and construction equipment. The temporary cut needed to build it may need a different support arrangement.
- Finished site
- The wall must fit the site grades, building structure, and intended use of the space.
- Construction stage
- Temporary retained heights and foundation excavation can differ from the final wall condition.
- Adjacent structures and boundaries
- An existing wall, neighboring foundation, or property boundary can limit where the wall and its excavation fit. Tight corners and grade changes may need a different structural detail.
Engineering services
Wall design from foundation excavation to finished grades
Cefali & Associates develops retaining wall and permanent shoring designs from the proposed grades, structural loads, and geotechnical recommendations. The wall design must also fit the access and excavation stages needed to build it. Geotechnical assessment and civil drainage design remain separate project responsibilities.
- Wall layout and loads
- The wall layout and foundation are developed from the grades, structural loads, geotechnical criteria, and nearby foundations.
- Transitions and corners
- Corners, steps in grade, and connections to buildings often need details beyond a typical wall section.
- Construction coordination
- Permanent wall details account for foundation excavation and the temporary support used during construction.
We agree the drawings, calculations, and support during construction with you in the proposal.
Design considerations
Site grades and nearby foundations shape the wall design
A retaining wall needs to work with the final grades and permanent structure, but the team also has to plan how the excavation will be supported while the wall and foundations are being built.
- Loads on the finished wall
- Site grades, neighboring buildings, traffic or equipment surcharges, and the intended finished use influence the wall and its foundation.
- Temporary excavation
- The wall may be exposed to different retained heights while the permanent structure is built. Temporary support should be planned with that sequence.
- Corners and transitions
- Changes in height, wall type, or available property rights can create details that differ from the typical wall section.
If the finished wall and the excavation needed to build it are being discussed together, read the temporary shoring and permanent wall guide.
In practice / Glendale Community College
The design in practice.
At Glendale Community College in Glendale, Cefali designed a permanent shoring wall for a terraced hillside science building. The wall relieved earth pressure from the building, while temporary retained heights allowed excavation for drilled-pile foundations. The terraced layout also created non-typical corners that Cefali coordinated with the building structural engineer.
See the Glendale Community College projectMore project examples
Hoag Memorial Hospital
At Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, Cefali designed permanent tied-back shoring for an approximately 50-foot retaining wall at the central plant. A nearby property line limited the tiebacks, while groundwater, a methane well, and seismic loading also affected the wall design.
Related project work
Projects involving retaining walls
See the systems, site conditions, and construction details from these projects.
Before you begin
Common questions
How is a permanent retaining wall different from temporary shoring?
Temporary shoring supports the site during construction. A permanent wall remains part of the finished site, so both its long-term function and the stages needed to build it matter.
Can a permanent wall also support the site during construction?
Yes, when designed for those stages. The Glendale Community College project shows how permanent shoring and temporary retained heights were coordinated around foundation construction.
Does permanent retaining-wall design include temporary excavation support?
Not automatically. The permanent wall and the temporary condition needed to build it may be separate design scopes. The proposal should identify which construction stages and temporary support are included.
What can be evaluated before the final wall design?
The proposed grades, survey, building and foundation layout, available access, and preliminary geotechnical information can show where a wall and its construction-stage support might fit. Final wall and foundation design still needs the site-specific geotechnical criteria, drainage arrangement, structural loads, and agreed construction stages.
Is drainage part of retaining-wall planning?
Yes. Water conditions can affect the loading and long-term performance assumptions. Drainage criteria should be coordinated with the geotechnical and civil teams for the site.
Can wall type change along one property?
Yes. Vista Monterey used different structural wall systems along the same project because the available nail easements changed. The transitions needed to be coordinated as part of the overall retaining design.
Discuss your project
Tell us what you are planning.
Send the drawings, reports, and site information you already have, along with your schedule and the work you need help with. You do not need a complete design package to get in touch.
- Site grading plan and proposed wall elevations
- Geotechnical report and drainage criteria
- Foundation drawings and nearby structure information
- Temporary excavation, access, and finish requirements