Retaining Wall Design and Slope Stabilization Techniques
DISCLAIMER
Before purchasing, review the rules of your licensing or certifying entity. It is your responsibility to confirm this course meets your CE requirements. See the credit tab on the course page for details.
What’s Included: Full webinar recording, written course materials, expert instruction, a mandatory quiz, and a certificate upon completion.
Deliverability Timeline: All courses are generally available within 1-2 weeks after the live presentation.
CE Credits: AIA and/or LA/CES accreditation is available by request for courses recorded prior to March 11, 2026. All courses after that date include those accreditations by default, if applicable. With these accreditations, our courses qualify for credit in nearly all states for engineers, surveyors, architects, and landscape architects.
Learn more about the on-demand format in our FAQ or contact us at (715) 835-5900 or customerservice@halfmoonseminars.org
Agenda
Registration: 8:00 – 8:30 am
Morning Session: 8:30 am – 12:00 pm
Lunch (On your own): 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:00 – 4:30 pm
Retaining Walls: What They Do and How They Do It
Identifying and quantifying forces acting on retaining walls
• Weight of the wall
• Pressure from retained soil
• Pressure on foundation of wall
• Characteristics of soil
• Loads on retained soil
• Impacts of water—liquid and frozen
• Vibration
• Expansion/contraction
Equations and examples
Geosynthetics and Retaining Walls, Embankments and Slopes
Calculations and software
Types of retaining walls
Embankments
Slopes
Materials
Alternatives
Exercise
• Learn to visually identify geosynthetics as to type, method of manufacture, relative strength, relative permeability, and relative cost
Slope Stabilization Techniques
Examining slope failures
Slope stability analysis
Stabilization techniques
• Unloading
• Drainage
• Reinforcement
• Mechanical stabilization
Slope Stabilization Case Histories
Fundamental soil characteristics and slope instability
Engineering mechanics underlying slope instability
Geologic conditions and construction practices
Field observations to distinguish types of instability
Construction practices to improve or restore stability
Retaining Wall/Slope Failures and Fixes
How to prevent a potential problem or failure
How to recognize a potential problem or failure in the field
Typical causes of problems or failures with geotechnical structures
Case studies/examples of failures and repairs
Credits
Professional Engineers
6.5 PDHs (HSW)
Architects & Landscape Architects
6.5 HSW PDHs/CE Hours
6.5 AIA HSW Learning Units
6.5 LA CES HSW PDHs
Floodplain Managers
6.5 ASFPM CECs
Contractors
Non-Credit Continuing Ed.
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public and offers 6.5 PDHs (HSW) to professional engineers and 6.5 HSW PDHs/continuing education hours to architects and landscape architects in most states, including Tennessee. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Tennessee.
This seminar is approved by the American Institute of Architects for 6.5 HSW Learning Units (Sponsor No. J885) and the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System for 6.5 HSW PDHs. Only full attendance can be reported to the AIA/CES and the LA/CES.
HalfMoon Education is deemed an approved continuing education sponsor for architects and landscape architects in New York. HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York (NYSEDNo. 35), North Carolina, and North Dakota.
The Association of State Floodplain Managers has approved this course for 6.5 CECs.
This course offers building contractors with a non-credit continuing education opportunity. It has not been approved by any state contractor licensing board.
Attendance will be monitored and attendance certificates will be available after the seminar for most individuals who complete the entire event. Attendance certificates not available at the seminar will be mailed to participants within fifteen business days.
Speakers
Bill Simpson, P.E.
Geotechnical Structure Design Specialist at Gradelta EngineeringMr. Simpson founded Gradelta Engineering in 2020 with the intent to help clients better understand the combination of geotechnical and structural engineering that he has worked with for the past 20 years. He earned his B.S.C.E. and M.S.C.E. degrees from Georgia Institute of Technology. He currently provides engineering services to contractors and fellow engineers for earth structure pricing, along with the plans and calculations needed for construction. He frequently consults with clients regarding the optimal structure type and location on the construction site to minimize risk and maximize useable space. He also works in the education sector providing not just seminars such as this one, but also acting as a subject matter expert creating study guide and test prep content for the NCEES Professional Civil Engineer exam. Mr. Simpson has also worked with lawyers and insurance companies during forensic investigation and lawsuits surrounding retaining walls and slope failures. His hope is that through the instructional services that he currently provides, slopes will remain stable and retaining wall failure will be eliminated.
