Revised 2024
This Guide, Segmental Retaining Walls Best Practices Guide for the Specification, Design, Construction, and Inspection of SRW Systems, is published and maintained by the Concrete Masonry & HardscapesAssociation (CMHA), (former Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and NationalConcrete MasonryAssociation). This document is an update to the NCMA SRW Best Practices 1st edition 2nd printing. Since segmental retaining wall systems were first introduced in the 1980s, there has been a continuous evolution and advancement in the understanding of the technology and performance of these systems related to material properties, design recommendations, and construction practices. This Guide reflects a compendium of contemporary knowledge collected over several decades that highlights practical, field-proven solutions using segmental retaining walls (SRWs). The information and recommendations presented in this Guide are intended to augment the design practices and recommendations contained within CMHA’s Design Manual for Segmental Retaining Walls (Ref.1), but are equally applicable regardless of the design methodology selected.