What structure is built to support a bank of earth?

The structure designed to support a bank of earth is known as a retaining wall. Retaining walls serve the primary function of resisting lateral earth pressure and preventing soil from eroding or collapsing into areas where it is not wanted, such as pathways, roads, or buildings. They are especially crucial in landscapes that involve sloped terrain, where there is a need to hold back soil to maintain a level surface or create terraced landscapes.

Retaining walls can be constructed from various materials, including concrete, stone, or timber, and are engineered to ensure they can withstand the forces exerted by the earth they are supporting. The design of a retaining wall considers factors such as soil type, the height of the earth it is retaining, and drainage to prevent water buildup, which can increase pressure on the wall.

While gravity walls also serve to retain earth, they specifically rely on their own weight to hold back the soil, and the term is generally used in a more specialized context. Load-bearing walls, on the other hand, are structural elements that carry vertical loads from the roof or floors of a building, not specifically for retaining soil. An earth support wall is not a commonly recognized term in the same way as a retaining wall, making it less applicable to this context