Drainage Behind Wall Structures

Wall Drainage

Subsurface drainage systems designed to provide a continuous drainage pathway behind retaining walls and below-ground wall structures

 

Water entering the ground behind retaining walls and below-ground structures can accumulate against the structure where an effective drainage pathway is not provided. This accumulation can contribute to hydrostatic pressure acting against the wall, making the management and controlled removal of water an important consideration in below-ground wall design.

Atlantis wall drainage systems create a continuous vertical drainage pathway between the structure and the surrounding ground. The high-void drainage layer provides space for water to enter and move under gravity toward the designated collection and discharge system, helping limit the accumulation of water directly against the wall while maintaining a relatively thin drainage profile.

Maintaining a continuous drainage pathway is therefore critical to the performance of the wall drainage strategy. The drainage layer must remain hydraulically connected across the wall surface and provide an uninterrupted route toward the collection and discharge system below, allowing water to be managed behind the structure rather than accumulate against it.

How Vertical Wall Drainage Works

Drainage Principle

Rainfall and surface water can infiltrate into retained ground and migrate downward through the soil profile. As water moves through the ground, local hydraulic gradients can also direct moisture toward below-ground walls and retaining structures. Without an effective drainage pathway, water can accumulate adjacent to the wall and contribute to hydraulic head and hydrostatic pressure.

A vertical wall drainage system intercepts water approaching the structure and provides a continuous drainage pathway between the retained ground and the protected wall interface. Water is conveyed downward under gravity, collected at the base of the wall, and directed away from the structure toward the project’s designated drainage or discharge system.

1

Rainfall & Water Migration

Rainfall and surface water infiltrate the retained ground and migrate predominantly downward under gravity. As water moves through the soil profile, local hydraulic gradients can also direct water toward the buried wall.

2

Interception

The vertical drainage layer provides a defined drainage pathway between the retained ground and the protected wall interface, intercepting water as it approaches the structure.

3

Vertical Drainage

Once intercepted, water moves vertically through the continuous drainage void toward the base of the wall, providing a defined path for drainage behind the buried structure.

4

Collection & Discharge

At the base, the vertical drainage layer interfaces with the linear collection system. Collected water is conveyed longitudinally away from the wall toward the drainage infrastructure or discharge point defined by the project.

Applications

Wall Drainage Across the Built Environment

Vertical drainage can be integrated behind below-ground and earth-retaining structures where water within the surrounding ground requires a defined pathway to collection and discharge.

Flo-Wall® System

Purpose-Built for Wall Drainage

Atlantis Flo-Wall® is a pre-assembled vertical drainage system designed for installation behind retaining walls and below-ground structures. The system combines a modular drainage core with hydrophilic geotextile to create a continuous drainage pathway between the retained ground and the protected wall interface.

Supplied as a pre-assembled panel, Flo-Wall® integrates the drainage core and filtration layer into a single system, simplifying the formation of the vertical drainage zone while maintaining continuity across the wall surface. At the base, the system can interface with Atlantis Flo-Pipe® to collect and convey drained water toward the project’s designated discharge point.

Specification sheet detailing the features and benefits of a wall drainage system.