The Alterna Wall

Engineered for uncommon ground.

AS 4678 retaining wall foundations for ground that defeats bored piers

The problem with traditional bored piers

Bore holes collapse in soft or saturated ground before concrete can be placed. Wet sand, high groundwater, and collapsing soils turn a straightforward retaining wall into a slow, costly, high-risk job — before you’ve even started building the wall itself.

Ground-level view showing a long precast concrete sleeper retaining wall supported by steel H-beam posts, running parallel to temporary chain-link construction fencing with yellow counterweight feet.

The Alterna Wall, by FTA

A screw-piled retaining wall foundation system, engineered for walls from 400mm to 4 metres, built for exactly the ground conditions that defeat conventional bored piers.

Elevated view of a row of white electrical enclosures and battery equipment installed on a gravel pad cut into a hillside, bordered by a concrete panel retaining wall with safety bunting and a mini excavator nearby.

Why it works

Installed by displacing the ground, not excavating it — stable even where a bored pier isn’t viable.

Virtually no spoil generated — a genuine advantage on culturally sensitive, contaminated or environmentally protected sites.

Immediate design capacity on installation — no waiting for concrete to cure before wall construction starts.

Where it’s used

Culturally sensitive sites, coastal and waterlogged ground, restricted-access urban sites, and any retaining wall project where a specifying engineer needs a documented alternative to concrete.