The Retaining Wall Calculator helps engineers design Cantilever and Gravity retaining walls and is suitable for calculation of block or concrete walls. Various components of the retaining system can be calculated including the retaining wall stem, the concrete retaining wall footing and the soil layers on both sides of the wall.
Vendor
SkyCiv
Company Website
SkyCiv Retaining Wall Calculator is a free, cloud-based tool designed to help engineers perform preliminary design and stability checks for cantilever and gravity retaining walls. It supports concrete and block wall systems and calculates critical components such as wall stem, footing, and soil layers. The calculator performs essential stability checks including overturning, sliding, and bearing capacity, and provides utilization ratios for each. Users can define wall geometry, assign soil and material properties, apply various load types, and analyze the structure’s performance. The full version of SkyCiv Retaining Wall Design Software unlocks advanced features such as custom wall shapes, detailed design reports, and complex analysis capabilities.
Features
- Wall Types Supported:
- Cantilever retaining walls
- Gravity retaining walls
- Stability Calculations:
- Overturning
- Sliding
- Bearing capacity
- Factor of safety for each failure mode
- Design Components:
- Wall stem and footing
- Soil layers (active, passive, substructure zones)
- Key and offsets
- Load Types:
- Uniform loads
- Patch loads
- Linear loads
- Material & Soil Properties:
- Define soil type, friction angle, unit weight, texture, and color
- Assign materials to different zones
- Design Standards:
- ACI SP-17(14), Vol. 2 (Reinforced Concrete Design Handbook)
- User Interface:
- Step-by-step input process
- Interactive graphics
- Auto-analysis and feedback
- Upgrade Features:
- Custom wall builder
- PDF design report with detailed calculations and code references
- Complex analysis for advanced scenarios
Benefits
- Accessibility: Fully online—no installation required.
- Efficiency: Quick setup and instant analysis.
- Accuracy: Based on recognized design standards.
- Transparency: Upgrade for detailed step-by-step reports.
- Scalability: Full version supports complex wall geometries and loading.
- Visualization: Interactive interface with graphical feedback.
- Versatility: Suitable for engineers, contractors, and students.