Standards Development

Scope

This document deals with the requirements, the basic performance criteria and evaluation of conformity for precast elements made of plain, reinforced or prestressed normal weight concrete, used for the construction of retaining walls.

The products covered by this document are intended to be used as part of retaining walls in applications such as:

- to retain natural ground excavations and trenches;

- to retain earth fills for roads, platforms, etc.;

- in bridge abutments and their flank walls;

- to retain several kinds of loose materials such as sand, gravel, etc.

Some examples of precast elements considered in this document are shown in the Informative Annex B.

The products may be used in seismic areas on condition that they fulfil the requirements specific to this use.

This document does not cover:

- products for retaining walls of tanks or reservoirs of liquids;

- retaining wall elements up to a height of 1,0 m and those assembled to form retaining walls of up to 1,0 m in height (e.g. stacked flower boxes for dwarf walls) if the corresponding retaining wall is used for secondary loads (max. horizontal earth fill and with light surcharge);

- products for stacked planting boxes, having only façade functions, and therefore not submitted to any loads (such as earth pressure loads, highway load effects, etc.);

- precast diaphragm walls (concrete sheet piling).

Purpose

CEN/TC 229 – Precast concrete products

• having considered the proposal for a new work item as documented in CEN/TC 229 N 1961

• having considered the Guidance - Adoption of a new work item in a CEN Technical Committee as documented in the BOSS

• decides to register the subject described below as a potential future new work item in its programme of work (at the preliminary stage (00.60 = date of decision)).