The document applies to vertical diaphragm walls with a minimum nominal thickness of 40 mm. It is intended to contribute to the standardization of the design of diaphragm walls. The purpose of such walls may be to form permanent components of a structure or to serve a temporary purpose, e.g. the sides of a building pit. In both cases, they can perform a loadbearing or compressive function. When acting as a loadbearing structure, they are suitable not only for taking up horizontal ground or water loads acting normally to the surface of the wall, but also for taking up loads acting parallel to the wall, e.g. for transmitting vertical loads into the ground. Diaphragm walls are formed by placing alongside one another diaphragm wall sections which may also be of T, I or other sectional shapes.