REPAIRING A FAILING MSE WALL USING SOIL NAILS-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

The presentation describes repairing a failing mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall using soil nails, an alternative to removing and replacing the existing structure.<br /><br />The featured project involved a vegetated MSE wall in Hoffman Village. Twelve years after construction, the wall showed bulging in its tallest section, seepage and saturated backfill, minor undermining, corroding baskets, and cracking in the parking lot above. The wall was 603 feet long, up to 51 feet high, and had 18,640 square feet of facing. Repair planning also had to limit disturbance to nearby wetlands and address restricted construction access.<br /><br />Following geotechnical investigation and back-analysis, the project team developed a soil-nail stabilization design. Construction included drilling and installing soil nails, galvanized plates, and steel mesh, with temporary cribbing used to provide access over the wetland area. The completed work installed 687 soil nails totaling about 28,000 linear feet and stabilized the existing wall without full replacement. Construction took three months, and vegetation subsequently became established.<br /><br />The presentation also highlights the wider need to manage aging MSE walls. Repairing rather than replacing a wall can help reduce risks to the public and nearby infrastructure, while accommodating right-of-way constraints, underground utilities, and environmentally sensitive areas. Soil-nail stabilization can extend a wall’s service life and preserve its existing appearance.

Keywords

mechanically stabilized earth wall

soil nails

wall stabilization

geotechnical investigation

Hoffman Village

vegetated MSE wall

seepage

bulging wall

wetland protection

retaining wall repair