Project name: Sloupnice – Retaining Wall near the Healthcare Centre
Location: Sloupnice, Czech Republic
Investor: Municipality of Sloupnice
Design team: PČDP s.r.o. is a design office specializing in transport infrastructure documentation, primarily for municipalities and towns across the Czech Republic. The company provides comprehensive design services with a strong focus on technical precision, regulatory compliance, and practical solutions.
The goal: To design a new reinforced concrete retaining wall that ensures long-term slope stability and safe support for the parking area above the wall, while protecting road users and visitors to the healthcare centre and ensuring safe everyday use of the area.
Software solution used: Plateia, Autosign, Autopath
Introduction: Addressing a Critical Safety Risk in a Constrained Urban Location
The project “Sloupnice – Retaining Wall” near the Healthcare Centre was initiated to address a critical structural and safety issue along local road III/3179, directly adjacent to the municipal healthcare facility. The existing retaining structure was in poor technical condition and posed a real risk of slope instability and embankment failure, threatening both the roadway and the adjacent parking area.
Given the sensitive location — with frequent pedestrian movement, parked vehicles, and public transport stops — the project required a technically robust solution that would not only stabilize the terrain but also improve overall traffic safety and accessibility in the area.
Project Goals and Scope
The primary goal of the project was to design a new reinforced concrete retaining wall that would ensure long-term slope stability while enabling the safe reconstruction of the adjacent parking area and road corridor
The project scope included:
- demolition of the existing, structurally inadequate retaining wall,
- design of a new reinforced concrete retaining wall with integrated drainage,
- reconstruction and reorganization of the parking strip,
- improvement of traffic safety and accessibility near the healthcare centre,
- and sustainable management of surface and groundwater.
Image: General layout of the retaining wall and reconstructed parking area.
Engineering Challenges and Site Constraints
From an engineering standpoint, the project presented several challenges. The site is spatially constrained, bordered by the roadway on one side and the sloping terrain on the other, leaving little room for design flexibility. The new structure had to be designed within strict geometric limits while maintaining safe distances from the road and ensuring sufficient capacity for parking above the wall.
Image: Typical cross-sections of the reinforced concrete retaining wall.
A key challenge was ensuring precise elevation control for the parking area and roadway, as even small deviations could affect structural loads, drainage behaviour, and vehicle maneuverability. In addition, the retaining wall required careful coordination with drainage systems to prevent water accumulation behind the structure, which could compromise long-term stability.
Design Approach and the Role of Digital Tools
PČDP s.r.o. approached the project with a strong focus on geometric accuracy, constructability, and compliance with safety regulations. The retaining wall was designed as a reinforced concrete structure founded on competent subsoil, with a dedicated drainage system to relieve hydrostatic pressure behind the wall.
Digital road and infrastructure design tools played a central role in the project. Plateia was used to model the horizontal and vertical alignment of the roadway and parking area, generate detailed longitudinal profiles and cross-sections, and precisely define the geometry and elevation of each structural segment, including the wall foundation and superstructure.
According to Michal Střeštík, key advantages of Plateia include the speed and stability of the design environment, intuitive control, and fast, highly competent technical support.
Image: Design plan created using Plateia software.
To verify vehicle movements and ensure safe operation above the retaining structure, Autopath was used to simulate horizontal vehicle maneuvers, including passenger cars and service vehicles. This analysis confirmed that the redesigned parking layout and access geometry met safety and functional requirements under real operating conditions.
Image: Vehicle maneuvering analysis showing simulated horizontal vehicle movements over the retaining wall and parking area, performed using Autopath software.
As the project’s lead designer explains:
“When working with Civil 3D, I had to create my own step-by-step workflow manual for road design just to keep the process consistent. With Plateia, nothing like that is necessary. The software is intuitive, and new functions can be discovered and applied in just a few steps, which significantly accelerates the design process while maintaining full technical control.”
– Michal Střeštík, Managing Director, PČDP s.r.o.
Outcome and Long-Term Value
The completed design delivers a technically sound and durable solution that eliminates the risk of slope failure while significantly improving safety and usability in the area surrounding the healthcare centre. The new retaining wall provides reliable long-term stabilization, while the reconstructed parking area offers safer and more efficient vehicle accommodation without encroaching into the roadway.
By combining precise engineering, integrated digital workflows, and careful coordination between structural and transport design, the project demonstrates how targeted infrastructure interventions can deliver substantial safety and functional benefits — even in highly constrained urban environments.
About PČDP s.r.o.
PČDP s.r.o. is a regional design office specializing in transport infrastructure documentation, primarily for municipalities and local authorities across the Czech Republic. The company focuses on the design of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, local roads, parking facilities, and related civil engineering works.
With a strong emphasis on technical precision, regulatory compliance, and practical design solutions, PČDP s.r.o. provides comprehensive services covering all stages of the project lifecycle — from initial concept and permitting documentation to detailed design and construction-ready drawings. All key engineering and design activities are directly managed by the company’s managing director, ensuring consistency, accountability, and high professional standards throughout every project.