Prediction of rebar profile in a earth retaining RCC structure using cover meter survey

Reinforced concrete retaining walls are generally used for the construction of underground structures, such as coal handling systems, underground subways and railway stations. In some exceptional cases, the retaining walls are used as structural walls for supporting other structures besides retaining the earth. The retaining wall construction is a highly specialized job requiring multidisciplinary activities. One of the major problems is to make a good quality construction ensuring good integral concrete and adequate cover thickness to the rebar cage. In many projects, construction deficiency in the form of exposure of reinforcement and lack of cover occurred at the excavated face of a retaining wall, which posed a challenging problem of determining the actual available cover thickness at the soil face. This problem was addressed by carrying out cover thickness survey and concrete surface profile at the excavated face, based on which a prediction can be made on the rebar cage profile and the available cover thickness at the soil face. This approach and methodology are highlighted in this paper.