Reinforced wall project launches new retail development in Southern California

Project highlights:

The Shops at Sycamore Creek (15.6-acre site), Corona, Calif.

Location: Riverside County, Calif., Interstate-15 Freeway Frontage and Indian Truck Trail (adjacent to the Elsinore Fault zone)

Purpose of retaining wall: To create a construction pad allowing enough flat buildable land for the ensuing retail development. Due to the height and magnitude, Riverside County required a plantable wall.

Timeline: retaining wall and building pad completed in fall 2007; retail buildings, fall 2008

Developer: Fieldstone Communities

Civil engineer: Psomas Engineering

Geotechnical engineer: Christian Wheeler Engineering

Retaining wall designer: Southern California Geotechnical

Retaining wall installer: Soil Retention Systems

Grading contractor: Shelton Construction

Total wall area: 36,000ft²

Maximum height: 34ft

Wall length: 1,400 LF

Backfill required for reinforced geogrid zone: 46,000yd³

Geogrid: Miragrid 10XT, 20XT (designed with V40 and V60 – break point at 26ft)

Amount of geogrid used: 59,000yd² of 10XT; 9,000yd² of 20XT

Additional engineering information: peak ground acceleration of 0.7g; grid ratios approximately 100% of height; designed with dead and live load surcharges for structures and fire/delivery access lane; grids at maximun spacing (2ft) to increase production

Duration of wall construction: 14.5 days, including footing excavation and subdrain installation — a new company record for installation time for a project of this size