The Author, Alan Davis

The coastal populations of many countries have grown rapidly in recent years – for reasons of lifestyle, environment and general affiuence – and with this growth, problems associated with coastal zone living have become more prominent. One such problem is the integrity of revetments and retaining walls at the land-water interface.

The author of this book has been associated with diagnosing and solving revetment problems in the south-east Queensland coastal area for several decades and this book is the result of the meticulous descriptive, photographic and technical records he has kept over that period.

Terrestrial retaining walls are not neglected in the text either; they share with coastal revetments many of the same causes of problems, for example excessive surcharge, leaching of backfill and foundation failure.

Alan Davis has used his knowledge well to produce a volume covering the gamut of retaining wall technology. Not only are the general forces, loads and defects common to retaining walls described, but also some seventy actual case studies with which the author has been associated are detailed.

A careful reading of this book and study of the excellent photographs will increase greatly the understanding of how retaining walls should work, the pitfalls to be avoided in their design and construction and the best methods of maintenance and repair of failures.

Accordingly, it is commended to a range of involved parties including legislators and their advisors setting standards for retaining wall construction, designers, construction contractors, students, real estate vendors and private citizens themselves where their property requires a retaining wall.

Alan Davis is to be congratulated on making available to a wide audience via this book his considerable experience in all aspects of retaining walls.