Archives

MSE retaining wall drainage and pile obstructions

April 5th, 2022

The Reinforced Earth Co. examines the many elements of MSE retaining wall drainage when there are obstructions. Drainage inlet at roadway gutter line. Photograph courtesy of the Reinforced Earth Co. Two common types of obstructions we see behind a retaining wall face are site drainage structures and bridge abutment piles. The presence of—and loading from—these obstructions within […]

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Ultralightweight foamed glass aggregate as MSE wall backfill

April 1st, 2022

FIGURE 1 Ultralightweight foamed glass aggregate (UL-FGA) MSE backfill in Ramp B at the Route 6/10 Interchange reconstruction project in Rhode Island. Photograph courtesy of Deirdre Paiva/Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) systems are a popular and economical option to construct retaining walls for highways and railways, wingwalls and abutments for […]

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ACE Geosynthetics wins IAAs in the geosynthetics category

April 1st, 2022

ACE Geosynthetics Inc. incorporated geogrids and geotextiles into mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls for a highway interchange project in the Middle East. Photograph courtesy of ACE Geosynthetics Inc. The northern part of a highway interchange project in the Middle East is adjacent to a developing industrial park; a densely populated city is located to the […]

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‘Geosynthetics Super Bowl’

February 11th, 2022

The Reinforced Earth Co.’s MSE retaining wall at SoFi Stadium plays a hidden but important role in the “geosynthetics Super Bowl.” The Reinforced Earth Co. mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall (left) is shown partially completed with the construction of SoFi Stadium underway. Photograph courtesy of the Reinforced Earth Co. One of the tallest mechanically stabilized […]

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GSI offers geosynthetics short courses online

August 19th, 2021

MSE wall in Franklin, Tenn. Photograph courtesy of Pinnacle Design/Build Group Inc. The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) is hosting three short courses on-demand online. GSI and Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) member companies and their employees receive discounted rates on all GSI short course registrations. Course 1: Quality Assurance/Quality Control of Geosynthetics in Waste Containment Facilities Recording […]

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Industry standard for wall drainage systems?

June 1st, 2021

Q: I just watched your recorded video of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall inspection. Thank you for the presentation; it was very informative. I do have a follow-up question for you. I was recently the site engineer for a precast panel MSE wall and now have the opportunity to inspect construction of the wall that […]

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Anchors, tie-rods and whalers

April 1st, 2021

Q: We are having issues related to obstructions in the reinforced zone of our mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls. In the first case, there is a rock outcrop that is limiting the length of the geogrid reinforcement. In the second case, we have a drop-down inlet structure to divert stormwater, which is in the […]

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GSI to host webinar on MSE inspection

January 18th, 2021

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) will sponsor a webinar, “Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Wall, Berm and Slope Construction Inspection,” on February 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) member companies and their employees receive discounted rates on all GSI webinar and short course registrations. The inspection (aka, monitoring) of MSE wall, […]

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Ground improvements using geofoam: A case history

October 14th, 2020

By Javaid M. Alvi, Ph.D., and Jahangir J. Kabir, Ph.D., P.E The project site is a triangular-shaped property located at the intersection of Raleigh Avenue and West Liberty Avenue in the Borough of Dormont, Allegheny County, Pa. (Figure 1). The site housed two Nissan buildings, one with a showroom at the top floor and the […]

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TRB to host webinar on updating designs for MSE walls in AASHTO

September 1st, 2020

The TRB Standing Committees on Transportation Earthworks and Geosynthetics will jointly organize a TRB webinar on "Updating Designs for Mechanically-Stabilized Earth Walls in AASHTO."  Bridge-design specifications were updated this year, with the largest change to designs for MSE walls in more than 20 years. TRB will host a webinar on Oct. 8, 2020, from 2:00–3:30 […]

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