Diaphragm walls are walls made of concrete or reinforced concrete, which are concreted in liquid-supported earth trenches either using the contractor method. Diaphragm walls can be made to great depths (100 m) and in nominal thicknesses of 0.45 m to 1.50 m.

The processes for producing diaphragm walls are low-noise and generate only slight vibrations. They are therefore particularly suitable for urban civil engineering.

Diaphragm walls are created directly next to an existing building structure as a low-deformation and “watertight” excavation protection. In the case of deep construction pits with nearby development and groundwater, the diaphragm wall often represents a technically and economically favorable construction option.

It can have a temporary purpose as a retaining wall or it can be included as a load-bearing element in the final structure. Diaphragm walls can be anchored and stiffened.

Diaphragm wall elements, like large bored piles, are also used as foundation elements for transferring concentrated structural loads into deeper, load-bearing soil layers. These foundation elements are called “barrettes”.