Retaining and Historic Rock Wall Repair
Soil Nail Launcher, Inc. has an impressive resume of retaining wall repairs and historic rock wall preservation projects. Working in conjunction with roadway owners and local historical societies, our team of design engineers, operators, and skilled masons can repair and restore even the most deteriorated of structures.
If the facing is mostly intact, an array of SuperNails® can provide reinforcement for the structure. If the wall has deteriorated badly, a combination of permanent stabilization and skilled restacking of the salvaged stone can return the wall to its original appearance. Soil Nail Launcher, Inc. employs masons who can emulate a wide variety of stacking patters and fully warrants all repairs.
The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Historical Preservation Group wanted to repair and rehabilitate a failing rock wall in the town of Appalachia. One of the mandates was to restore the wall to its original appearance. This project languished for years while contractors and key players tried to determine the best way to achieve that mandate. Meanwhile, Soil Nail Launcher, Inc., who has some of the top rock masons in the U. S., provided a basis for a design to VDOT. The project, based off of SNLI’s design, was advertised and SNLI was low bidder by 30%. SNLI restored the wall and got a near 100% rating from VDOT's construction office.
Contact:
Bob Barrett, Soil Nail Launcher, Inc., Director
bob@soilnaillauncher.com
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Stabilization of historic stone wall |
Wall nearing completion with decorative stone guardrail installed |
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The township of O’Hara, Pennsylvania, had constructed a gabion basket retaining wall along a high-quality stream to support the Squaw Valley Hiking Trail. The site had many utility conflicts including an eight-inch DIP waterline, a four-inch high-pressure gas line, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, curb and gutter, and electric utilities including overhead lines. The roadway was a major thoroughfare that had to remain open during construction.
SNLI was able to mobilize to the site at the convenience of the township and worked hours that were in compliance with the local union’s requirements, including weekends to expedite completion of the project. No permits were required since all work was performed from above. Construction was far less invasive to the environment than other traditional repair methods. The space for construction was extremely limited between the stream and the roadway, but SNLI worked within the constraints and kept traffic open during construction. The down angle on the self-drilling SuperNails® was increased to provide an adequate separation with the existing array of subsurface utilities. The cost of the 76 linear-foot repair was $39,200, much less than alternative repairs. The construction time was measured in days and the client saved several months by not having to apply for environmental permits or go through a complete design review and approval process.
Contacts:
Perry Kairis, Soil Nail Launcher, Inc., Consultant
perry@soilnaillauncher.com
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The failing gabion basket retaining wall above a stream |
Work completed from above to minimize environmental impact |
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