At the request of COMSA, S.A. and with the participation of the Polytechnic University of Madrid, FHECOR Consulting Engineers carried out a theoretical and experimental study of cracking in anchored retaining walls.

The dimensioning of these structural elements is often defined by the Cracking Limit State due to the requirement of the Spanish Standard of a 70mm cover for concrete elements in contact with the ground. This circumstance is contradictory in the sense that a large cover is, in principle, a guarantee from the point of view of durability.

The object of this work is to study this contradiction and propose suitable solutions with solid foundations. The study involves the use of a cracking test database, the performance of specific tests in the Laboratory of ETSI Caminos, Canales y Puertos de Madrid and the monitoring and inspection of anchored retaining walls subject to real.