Handbook of Railroad Construction; For the use of American engineers. / Containing the necessary rules, tables, and formulæ for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads, as built in the United States.

by George L. Vose

The leverage of resistance is very much increased by battering the wall in front, as at A D. The centre of gravity is then horizontally projected at m′, but the distance D m′ is much greater than F m.

Fig. 134.

The amount of masonry remaining the same, by decreasing the top, and increasing the base, the strength is very much increased.

When retaining walls are exposed to shocks or pressures special directions, they may be very much aided by buttresses opposing directly such forces, as in fig. 134.

The increase of strength thus made by a small bulk of masonry is very great.

All abutments, wing-walls, and side walls of culverts, come under the head of retaining walls.

When the face of the wall does not by its position admit of buttresses, as in fig. 134, it may be dovetailed into the earth; the latter being firmly rammed around the masonry, as in fig. 135.

Fig. 135.