Attachment of wingwalls to structural elements like bridges or building foundations is essential. Like a retaining wall, a wing wall holds back the soil on one side, facilitating a change in elevation.
Sloping sites often incorporate wing walls into their building foundations. The wing walls, built as extensions of the building foundation on the downhill side of the structure. They hold back the soil to create open lawn area outside a walkout basement providing additional yardage to a home or building.
Bridge wing walls are a little different than building wing walls in that there are usually four – a pair at each end – extending at an angle from the ends of the bridge. The four wing walls of a bridge are essential parts of the bridge foundation.
When the bridge spans a waterway, the wing walls protect the roadway on either side of the bridge from erosion by directing water under the span.
