#1 retaining wall design and build contractor in Malaysia.
Infraconcrete is the leading retaining wall design and build (D&B) contractor in Malaysia. Single-team accountability across engineering design and construction. No inter-vendor handoff between consultant and contractor. In-house geotechnical engineering capability for design plus in-house specialist crews for construction. All retaining wall families: RC walls, RE walls, RS walls, MSE walls, modular block walls (StrataBlock), sheet piling, soldier piling, gabion walls, crib walls. CIDB G7 (highest grade), ISO 9001:2015 certified. To BS 8002, BS 8004, BS 8006-1, BS EN 1997 (Eurocode 7), FHWA-NHI-10-024, AASHTO LRFD, NCMA, JKR. Federal references EKVE expressway, ECRL Section 3 rail, Central Spine Road, Pan Borneo, Bandar Serendah, Mukim Sentul.
One contractor, both halves.
Design and Build (D&B) is a procurement model where one contractor takes responsibility for both the engineering design and the construction of the retaining wall. The client engages a single accountable contractor who delivers the wall from concept through handover, consolidating the design-construction interface inside one company.
Contrast with traditional procurement: separate consultant (paid for design) plus separate contractor (paid for construction), with the client carrying interface risk between them. Traditional procurement creates a structural tension: the consultant's design must work, but the consultant doesn't build it; the contractor builds it, but didn't design it. Disputes about buildability, variation orders, programme slip, and finger-pointing arise from this interface.
D&B consolidates that interface inside one company. The designer and the builder are the same team, accountable to one client under one contract. The design accommodates the build method; the build executes the design without translation. Used widely on Malaysian retaining wall projects: basement excavation perimeter, hillside retention, podium walls, perimeter walls on industrial pads, bridge abutments, federal-infrastructure embankments.
Why developers and authorities choose design and build.
1. Single-team accountability
The same company is responsible for both design and construction. No interface disputes between consultant and contractor. No "the design doesn't work, blame the consultant" or "the contractor didn't follow the spec, blame the contractor". One accountable team owns the outcome.
2. Faster programme through parallel phases
Design and construction can overlap: detailed design progresses as earthworks and foundation prep begin. The traditional sequential model (design 100 percent complete, then tender, then mobilise) loses 2 to 6 months of programme time on a typical retaining wall scope. D&B typically reduces overall delivery by 15 to 30 percent.
3. Build-method-aligned design
The design accommodates real construction sequence, plant access, material lead times, and crew capability from day one. The consultant-led design often gets redesigned at tender stage when contractors point out buildability issues, adding cost and delay. D&B avoids that loop.
4. Cost certainty
D&B contracts typically fix the total price at signature, with limited variation triggers (significant change of ground vs assumed at design, client scope change, force majeure). The design-then-tender approach often produces cost surprises when the tendered price comes in 20 to 40 percent above the consultant's estimate. D&B commits the price upfront.
5. Change control inside one company
Design changes during construction are absorbed inside one company rather than triggering consultant-contractor variation disputes. Practical engineering judgements at site (slightly different ground from SI, minor geometric adjustment, alternative material) get resolved by the same team, not escalated to a paper trail.
When D&B is NOT the right model
For novel structural systems with significant design innovation, where the client wants independent design review with conflict-of-interest separation, or where the wall is so interconnected with other building structures that design must be consultant-led, traditional procurement may suit better. D&B works best on discrete, well-defined retaining wall elements within a larger project.
All eight families, in-house.
Every retaining wall type within the Malaysian design framework, delivered as in-house D&B scope. Selection is design-led based on site geometry, ground conditions, height, footprint, cost, programme, and aesthetic requirement.
RC wall (Reinforced Concrete cantilever / counterfort)
Cast-in-place reinforced concrete cantilever or counterfort. Stiff, low-settlement, narrow footprint compared to MSE / gravity walls. Best in tight urban footprints, hard founding conditions, and where settlement tolerance is low. Typical height 1 to 8 m for cantilever, higher with counterforts. To BS 8002, BS 8004, BS EN 1992 (Eurocode 2), BS EN 1997 (Eurocode 7), JKR.
RE wall (Reinforced Earth wall, steel-strip)
Legacy steel-strip reinforced soil wall family. Galvanised steel strip reinforcement embedded in compacted granular backfill with precast concrete facing panels. Heights to 25 m+ in Malaysia. Standard for tall federal infrastructure walls, bridge abutments, highway and rail embankments. To BS 8006-1, FHWA-NHI-10-024, AASHTO LRFD.
RS wall (Reinforced Soil wall, geogrid)
Modern term for geogrid-reinforced soil retaining wall. StrataGrid PET geogrid (uniaxial, 30 to 400 kN/m grades) supplied via group company Starwall (sole STRATA Geosystems Malaysia distributor). Heights to 15 m+ with modular block facing, higher with precast panel facing. To BS 8006-1, FHWA-NHI-10-024, NCMA.
MSE wall (Mechanically Stabilized Earth)
Umbrella term covering both RE (steel strip) and RS (geosynthetic). The default in current Malaysian federal infrastructure tender documents. Cost-effective at 5 to 25 m+ height. Tolerates moderate differential settlement. Fast construction.
Modular block wall (SRW, StrataBlock)
Segmental retaining wall built from precast concrete blocks dry-stacked in interlocking courses, with horizontal geogrid reinforcement. Excellent aesthetics, fast construction, height range 1 to 15 m. StrataBlock supplied via Starwall. To NCMA SRW Design Manual, BS 8006-1.
Sheet piling and soldier piling
Driven steel sheet piles or soldier piles with lagging. Used for temporary deep-excavation retention (basement, MRT cut-and-cover), water-retaining structures (cofferdams), and permanent retention in tight footprint. To BS EN 12063, Eurocode 7.
Gabion wall
Rock-filled wire baskets stacked in courses. Permeable construction (free drainage), aesthetic blend with environment, height 1 to 10 m. Used on riverbank protection, slope toes, road cuttings. To BS EN 10223-3, EAD 200019, BS 8002.
Crib wall
Interlocking horizontal members (timber or precast concrete) stacked to form a cribbing structure with the cells filled with free-draining granular material. Permeable, height 2 to 8 m. To BS 8002, AS 4678, JKR.
Plus rubble pitching, anchored walls, hybrid systems
Rubble pitching (pasangan batu kosong / pasangan batu mortar) for low-height retaining and slope-toe protection. Anchored RC or sheet pile walls combined with ground anchors for tall walls. Hybrid systems combining two or more families on transition zones.
Five phases from concept to handover.
Phase 1: Concept (1 to 2 weeks)
Site visit, initial geometry and ground review, preliminary wall-type selection from your brief and our site walk, indicative D&B price and programme. Output: concept proposal with wall type recommendation, indicative budget, indicative programme, identified risks and design-issue list.
Phase 2: Site investigation (2 to 6 weeks if not yet done)
Boreholes, in-situ tests (SPT, vane shear where applicable), laboratory tests (gradation, Atterberg, shear strength, compaction), groundwater monitoring, aggressivity panel (pH, resistivity, chloride, sulphate, redox) for corrosion protection class selection. Output: SI factual report and interpretive report.
Phase 3: Detailed design (3 to 8 weeks)
Internal stability analysis, external stability analysis, global stability check, facing design, drainage scheme, foundation design, capping beam detail. Design calculations, design drawings, method statement, ITP, HIRARC, material specifications. Design submission to consulting engineer, authority (JKR, LLM, MOW, KKR, local council) for approval where required.
Phase 4: Construction
Project-specific duration (4 weeks to 12+ months). Site mobilisation, earthworks, founding-level preparation, wall installation (in lifts for MSE / modular block / sheet pile, monolithic for RC), drainage installation, backfill placement and compaction, facing erection, capping beam, surface drainage. Daily QA records, weekly progress reports, monthly client meetings.
Phase 5: Handover (1 to 2 weeks)
As-built drawings, complete material certificate file, complete test report (compaction tests, pull-out tests for soil nail / anchor where applicable, cube tests for RC, mesh placement records), maintenance manual, defects liability period (DLP) notice, performance bond and warranty bond as applicable. Snag list closeout. Final account.
Parallel-phase programme overlap
Phases 2-5 are not strictly sequential. Site investigation and concept design overlap. Detailed design overlaps construction start. Construction phases overlap each other across multiple work zones. The D&B model takes advantage of these overlaps; traditional consultant-then-contractor procurement does not.
The code framework.
Default specification framework applied to every D&B retaining wall design, regardless of project size:
- BS 8002, Code of Practice for Earth Retaining Structures (the primary UK reference; the JKR-default design code in Malaysian practice)
- BS 8004, Code of Practice for Foundations (for wall foundation design)
- BS 8006-1, Strengthened / Reinforced Soils, Part 1: Walls (reinforced soil walls including RE, RS, MSE)
- BS EN 1997-1, Eurocode 7 Geotechnical Design
- BS EN 1992, Eurocode 2 Concrete Structures (RC wall design)
- BS EN 12063, Execution of Special Geotechnical Works: Sheet Pile Walls
- FHWA-NHI-10-024, Design and Construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls and Reinforced Soil Slopes (US Federal Highway reference)
- AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, Section 11 (Walls and Abutments)
- NCMA SRW Design Manual (Segmental Retaining Walls, US-origin standard for modular block walls)
- JKR Slope Engineering Manual, JKR Standard Specifications for Road and Building Works (Malaysian government specifications)
For project-specific specification requirements (US, UK, Singaporean, Australian, or other international codes), we adapt the design framework to suit. BS / EN / Eurocode is fluent for Singapore-spec-aligned Iskandar projects.
How D&B is priced.
Fixed total price for the agreed scope (design + supply + install + commissioning + handover documentation). Priced per square metre of finished wall face by wall type, plus foundation works, drainage, backfill, capping beams, and any specialist scope (ground anchors, soil nailing if integrated). Indicative ranges (project-specific, send geometry for site-specific quote):
- RC cantilever wall: RM 1,000 to 2,500 per m² of wall face, plus foundation
- MSE wall (precast panel): RM 600 to 1,200 per m² of wall face
- MSE wall (modular block): RM 500 to 1,000 per m² of wall face
- Modular block wall (unreinforced or geogrid-reinforced): RM 400 to 900 per m² of wall face
- Gabion wall: RM 300 to 600 per m² of wall face
- Sheet piling (depending on section, depth, drive method): RM 500 to 2,000 per m² of retained face
These are indicative budget ranges only; project-specific quotation depends on geometry, ground conditions, access, height, programme, and project-specific specification. Total D&B price is committed at contract signature with limited variation triggers. Standard payment milestones aligned with phase progress. Performance bond and warranty bond per project requirement.
Where Malaysian D&B retaining walls typically apply.
Basement excavation perimeter
Deep basement excavation for commercial / mall / hospital / data centre developments. 2 to 6 levels typical. D&B model lets us combine sheet piling or top-down soil nailing + shotcrete with the permanent RC perimeter wall in one delivery package.
Hillside development podium and tower retention
Hillside residential and commercial developments. Podium walls between podium levels, perimeter retaining walls around the development. Typically MSE walls or RC cantilever depending on footprint.
Industrial pad perimeter walls
Factory pads, warehouse plots, logistics platforms. Heavy-load design with 40-ton truck surcharge. Often industrial park sites.
Highway and rail embankment retention
Federal infrastructure: EKVE, ECRL Section 3, Central Spine Road. MSE walls and RC cantilever walls on bridge approach embankments, cut-side retention, fill-side embankments.
Bridge abutment walls
Permanent retaining walls forming the abutment of road and rail bridges. DCP corrosion protection on permanent works. Federal panel registered for JKR / LLM bridge scope.
Post-failure rectification and remediation
Existing retaining walls that have failed or shown distress. Demolition, redesign, reconstruction under D&B model. Common on post-monsoon hillside developer remediation.
Permanent solutions following temporary works
Temporary sheet pile retention installed for basement excavation, then replaced or integrated with permanent retaining structure. D&B coordinates both phases.
Common questions.
What is retaining wall design and build (D&B)? +
Are you the #1 D&B retaining wall contractor in Malaysia? +
D&B advantages over consultant + contractor procurement? +
When is D&B the right model? +
What wall types do you D&B? +
How long does a D&B retaining wall project take? +
Standards you design to? +
How is D&B priced? +
Federal panel / JKR / LLM D&B? +
Reka dan bina tembok penahan (Bahasa Malaysia)? +
D&B retaining wall on your project?
Send geometry, ground conditions (if you have an SI report), constraints, and design context. Same-day engineering input and indicative D&B budget from the team.
Continue exploring.
Retaining wall families
→ MSE Wall
→ Ground Anchor (for anchored walls)
→ Soil Nailing (top-down basement)