Precast concrete retaining walls are used to retain a material, usually soil. They can be cantilever walls or walls spanning vertically between supports (such as the basement floor and ground floors in buildings) or walls spanning horizontally between columns, walls, abutments or similar.
They resist lateral actions due to soil, water, surcharge loads, other materials and the like. They may also have to prevent the ingress of water, which will require consideration of hydrostatic pressures, tanking, drainage, sealing of joints and other considerations.
Precast retaining walls can be built using standard components or purpose-designed, or can be used as part of a composite structure.