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 – 12:15 pm
Lunch (On your own): 12:15 – 1:15 pm
Afternoon Session: 1:15 – 5:00 pm
Types of Retaining Walls
Traditional cantilevered retaining walls
• Reinforced concrete walls
• Reinforced concrete masonry walls
Soldier pile and lagging walls
Traditional timber walls
Traditional gravity walls
Mass concrete
Stone
Gabion walls
Crib walls
Reinforced soil retaining walls
Anchored retaining walls (tie-backs, soil nailing, etc.)
Temporary retaining walls
Over-steepened reinforced slopes
Sheet pile
Fabric wrapped walls
Private-sector vs. highway retaining wall systems
Retaining Wall Design
Soil design parameters
Lateral earth pressure
External stability
• Sliding
• Overturning
• Bearing capacity
• Settlement
• Scour
Internal stability
Global stability
Special considerations for tiered retaining walls
Backfill
Groundwater
Service life
Design software
Slope Stabilization
Science of slope stability
Surficial vs. deep-seated slope stability
Long term vs. short term stability
Slope stabilization techniques
• Regrading
• Excavation and replacement
• Slope reinforcement/pinning
• Ground improvement
• Toe retaining walls
Retaining Wall and Slope Stabilization Case Histories
Various commercial, residential projects
Various highway and institutional projects
Credits
Professional Engineers
7.0 PDHs
Architects
7.0 HSW Continuing Ed Hours
7.0 AIA HSW Learning Units
Landscape Architects
7.0 HSW Continuing Ed Hours
7.0 LA CES HSW PDHs
Floodplain Managers
7.0 ASFPM CECs
Contractors
Non-Credit Continuing Ed.
Continuing Education Credit Information
This seminar is open to the public and offers 7.0 PDHs to professional engineers and 7.0 HSW continuing education hours to architects and landscape architects in most states, including Iowa. Educators and courses are not subject to preapproval in Iowa.
This seminar is approved by the American Institute of Architects for 7.0 HSW Learning Units (Sponsor No. J885) and the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System for 7.0 HSW PDHs. Only full attendance can be reported to the AIA/CES and LA/CES.
Architects, engineers, and landscape architects seeking continuing education credit in Iowa will be able to apply the hours earned at this seminar, in most cases. Refer to specific state rules to determine eligibility.
HalfMoon Education is an approved continuing education sponsor for engineers in Florida, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey (Approval No. 24GP00000700), North Carolina, and North Dakota.
The Association of State Floodplain Managers has approved this course for 7.0 CECs.
This seminar offers a non-credit continuing education opportunity to construction contractors. It has not been approved by any state contractor licensing entity.
Speakers
Terry Mccleary
McCleary Engineering
McCleary Engineering specializes in geotechnical investigations and recommendations for foundation design, retaining walls, slope stability, embankments, pavement design and rehabilitation, subgrade treatments and other engineering services such as drainage studies. McCleary Engineering is Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) prequalified in general geotechnical services, subsurface explorations, structure geotechnical reports and construction inspection categories.
Mr. McCleary has nearly 19 years of construction and geotechnical engineering experience with IDOT. Six years were spent on the front lines of contract administration in construction as a resident engineer on bridge and roadway projects which included construction layout, material inspection and construction practice inspection. For the last 13 years at IDOT, Mr. McCleary was the District #3 geotechnical engineer, working with hands-on subsurface investigations; analysis, design, and inspection of geotechnical engineering projects; and on-the-spot problem solving. He has served on numerous statewide committees involving abutment design, piling, aggregate subgrade, subgrade stability, pavement under drains and pavement rehabilitation. He served on a nationwide Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) pooled fund study on deep soil mixing technology. In 2009, Mr. McCleary left IDOT to work full time at his company, McCleary Engineering. Mr. McCleary is a licensed professional engineer in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Montana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Deep Foundations Institute, the Pile Driving Contractors Association and the Illinois Association of Highway Engineers. He is currently serving on the NCHRP Committee for the research of bridge scour on gravel bed rivers.
AIA Info
AIA Provider Statement:
HalfMoon Education Inc. is a registered provider of AIA-approved continuing education under Provider Number J885. All registered AIA/CES Providers must comply with the AIA Standards for Continuing Education Programs. Any questions or concerns about this provider of learning program may be sent to AIA/CES (cesupport@aia.org or (800) AIA 3837, Option 3).
This learning program is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.
AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA/CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.
Course Title: Retaining Wall Design and Slope Stabilization Techniques.
Delivery Method: Live
Course Description: This 7.0 hour live lecture presentation covers the types of retaining walls and their applications, retaining wall design based on soil parameters, loads and other site conditions, and slope stabilization strategies.
Learning Objectives:
Learning Objective 1:
Learners will be able to differentiate the types of forces that act on retaining walls.
Learning Objective 2:
Learners will be able to describe methods to achieve slope stability, including regrading, slope reinforcement/pinning, ground improvement, retaining structures, and excavation and replacement.
Learning Objective 3:
Learners will be able to identify and explain the features and applications of various types of retaining walls.
Learning Objective 4:
Learners will be able to describe the factors that must be considered when designing a retaining wall, including soil design parameters, lateral earth pressure, bearing capacity, settlement, groundwater, and backfill.
LUs: 7.0 LU Type: LU|HSWs
Prerequisites: Experience with site evaluations and earthwork.
Advance Preparation: None
Program Level: Intermediate
Course Expiration Date: 03/17/2022
Complaint Resolution Policy:
Complaints regarding this course can be emailed to doug@halfmoonseminars.org or by calling (715) 835-5900. A HalfMoon Education representative will respond within 72 hours to resolve the complaint, which will include, but not limited to, access to another CE activity at no or reduced cost, or a full or partial refund. Each instance will be resolved on a case-by-case situation.