Segmental Retaining Walls

Where, for example, the ground slopes away steeply, reinforcement may be required to support the perimeter incline. In other circumstances, there may be limited ground for development and a retaining wall may be specified to extend the area of level ground available for building on. Alternatively, walls may simply be required to create terraces and attractive landscaping, particularly in the case of more prestigious developments.

Ultimately, the choice of retaining wall solution will depend on a number of factors including the steepness of the slope, the underlying soil conditions, the precise purpose of the wall as well as aesthetic considerations. All of these elements need to be factored into the final geotechnical solution.

Whatever the requirement, Acheson & Glover’s product range provides the ideal solution. Systems such as the BBA certified Anchor Vertica®, for example, allow the construction of walls with a ‘natural stone’ appearance up to five or six metres in height with Paragrid geosynthetic soil reinforcement. Structural stability is achieved through the frictional interaction and interlock of the soil particles with the geogrid and by the frictional connection of the geogrid to the facing units.

For walls of greater height, a system such as the BBA Roads and Bridges certified Anchor Landmark system is likely to be more appropriate with its unusual split faced portrait block and positive geogrid connection for additional face stability. The product represents the culmination of years of research and testing to develop a modular block, mechanically stabilised earth structure for high performance under extreme loading conditions.

One delighted Anchor user is of Steve Burke of Newry-based O’Hare McGovern – the main contractor for a major student accommodation scheme at Queen’s University Belfast. The use of Anchor Vertica® walling – specified by architects, Robinson & Patterson – has allowed additional accommodation blocks to be included on the site while permitting an open village style environment to be retained.

“It’s a fantastic system. You can install an anchor wall 3m high and 30m long in three to four days when a reinforced concrete wall would take three to four weeks,” says Steve.

Page 2 of 2. Previous Page

Discuss this article in the web forums.