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Design Overview
Proper design of a Recon Wall Systems’ retaining wall is important for ensuring the long-term performance of the wall. With all of the tools available from Recon, designing and detailing Recon walls has never been easier. If you have any questions regarding design, please feel free to reach out to us today!

Five Design Considerations

Application Type
It is important to understand the application in which the wall is being used. This helps determine the best process for the design of the wall.
Wall Type
Recon offers both gravity and geogrid reinforced options. The application type will help determine which wall system best fits the project.
Site Geometry
In addition to wall heights, lengths, and layout, site-plans (grading plans) offer additional information about adjacent structures, surcharges, site access, property lines, utility locations and site drainage.
Wall Geometry
The geometry will be dictated by the specifics of the project site and topography. Geometry for each wall generally consists of: wall length, wall height and the location of corners and curves.
Soils Information
Soil is one of the main components of the struction. Soils come in numerous types and compositions. Therefore, Soil properties are used in the wall analysis to predict a wall’s overall performance.

Testing & Technical Information

Walls, Railings, Vehicular Barriers

At Recon, we have done the testing and analysis required to support engineers that utilize Recon in their critical infrastructure projects. We encourage wall design engineers to reach out to Recon and request the data and tools that will assist them.

Interested in our Testing Vendor Data?

Request Data

Some of the information available includes:

Retaining Wall Design

Testing Info

  • Grid Connection Test Data for:
    • Mirafi 5XT, 8XT and 10XT
    • Strata 350 and 550
    • Telegrid 5530 and 8030.
  • Direct Sliding Test Results
  • Block Shear Test Results
  • Gravity Wall Spacer Bar (for 7.2 degree batter) Shear Test Results
Pedestrian Railing & Fence Design

Tools that assist in determining the configuration of block types and sizes required to resist overturning of Pedestrian Railings and Wind Loaded Fences that are attached to the top of a Recon Wall.

    • Recon Pedestrian Rail and Fence Post Calculator
Vehicular Barriers

Tools that aid in the design of Vehicular Barriers that utilize the Recon Guardrail Block

    • Analysis of IBC 6000 # impact load on Recon Guardrail Block Barrier with moment slab block
    • Analysis of TL – 1 13,500 # impact load on Recon Guardrail Block Barrier with moment slab block
    • Analysis of IBC 6000 # impact load on traditional post and beam guardrail mounted to ReCon Full High Cap and moment slab block
    • Ericksen Roed & Associates Structural Engineers Report dated 12/2/05, Freestanding and Vehicle Barrier Wall Analysis – PDF
    • MRJ Engineering dated 10/3/05 & 11/5/05 regarding Sliding for Vehicle Barrier Wall – PDF
Third Party Design Software Vendor Data Files
  • SRWall Versions 3.22 and 4.0 Vendor Data Files for the design of geogrid walls only
  • MSEW 3.0 Tutorial
  • MSEW 3.0 Vendor Data Files for the design of geogrid walls only.

Did You Know

The Recon 39” Deep Top Block with a Pedestrian Railing attached meets the overturning requirements of the IBC. A GREAT solution, avoiding the need to mechanically fasten multiple courses of block and / or pouring concrete into hollow blocks

The Recon Vehicular Barrier System can meet both the IBC 6000 # and the AASHTO TL-1 13,500 # Impact Load.

The Recon Frictional Grid Connection meets the most stringent performance specifications for block to grid connection AND provides 100% grid coverage (as opposed to 25% or 50%).

Recon has tested “SLIDING” of its BASE Block on a crushed stone leveling pad and of its MIDDLE Block on the same crushed stone leveling pad. The results are significantly better when using the BASE Block. Thus, always use a Recon BASE Block for the first course (unless the leveling pad is concrete). Some large block systems offer a “hollow block” with no smooth bottom base block. In that situation, it would be critical that any design with such a system calculate sliding based on actual test data and NOT on the default value for sliding between concrete and crushed stone!

Design Resources

Wall Design Software

Cross sectional retaining wall software for determining your final design.

Learn More

Wall Layout Software

A drafting tool to assist in generating retaining wall profiles.

Learn More

Design Overview Guide

This guide provides a high level overview of the design process and considerations.

Download Guide
View Resource Library

Still Have Design Questions?

Have specific design questions? Contact us today.

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