Repairing Retaining Wall
Repairing Retaining Wall
(OP)
I am designing a project concerning a retaining wall. The existing wall is brick, unsure of the design of this initial wall but we are designing a repair option and a replacement option. Replacement option is cantilever concrete.
I am curious if anyone has ever worked with soil screws? I was thinking a cheap option could be to reinforce the wall with soil screws and shotcrete over the existing wall. Do you think this would work?
I am curious if anyone has ever worked with soil screws? I was thinking a cheap option could be to reinforce the wall with soil screws and shotcrete over the existing wall. Do you think this would work?
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
Concrete based shotcrete will shrink and is much harder....fear it would crack up on you.
Another option is to install horizontal soil nails, or screw anchors or ties - and then set the head of these anchors out in front of the brick.
Put on the face of the brick a closed cell foam board and then cast a new concrete "waler wall" across the front of the brick and maybe over the top as well.
This say the concrete serves as a "new" wall face and top and also as a waler for the ties - to create a structural element membrane across the original brick wall face to keep it stable.
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
The cracks have divided the wall into 3 regions - left/right wing walls and the middle curved wall. The cracks could be initiated by hoop tension, and worsened by soil pressure on each segment, which has strength reduced due to lose in continuity horizontally. You shall determine the tilt of the wall, and see where of the wall are out of plumb, and the lengths. Then you might be able to just take out the worst segments, and replace with the same. You might need to add a few pilasters to stiffen the wall, or use soil nail to hold the wall (it might not looks good though).
Is there a ground water, or runoff problem? No matter what you do, drainage problem must be corrected prior to reconstruction.
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
Agree with JAE regarding offsetting the plate for the soil nails off the face of the brick a slight amount. We normally go with 4" for the offset. Then you have one of two options, cast the wall or shotcrete the wall. The formwork for casting would be expensive but if you are clever you could actually come up with a nifty way to couple on to the end of the soil nail bar and extend it out to use as a form-tie and reduce/eliminate the bracing required. Tape the coupled portion of bar before the pour. Then after stripping the forms, you remove the coupled part of the bar and patch the hole. Otherwise you shotcerte it all (behind the plates too) and make sure you specify exactly how you want it finished. Steel trowel finish, rubber float finish, sculpted, stained? All would increase cost but would add to the aesthetic quality. You do not want to leave it as a natural as-shot finish. That would be offensive. No matter which option you go with, put control joints every 15ft or so. They can score the joints in with the shotcrete wall. Add fibers to the mix no matter what to help control the restrained shrinkage effects.
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
So do cohesive soils, possibly even worse but we shoot shotcrete on soil all the time.
He should definitely add control joints in new concrete/shotcrete wall no matter what. I would add fibers as well.
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
Control joints and fiber may be a good idea.
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
RE: Repairing Retaining Wall
If you go shotcrete check the contractor's references. Some agencies require American Shotcrete Association (ASA) nozzleman certification.