South Coast Medical Center Wall @ Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach, Calif. PCH

Unique Features:

This project exemplifies many unique features of the Stresswall Product.  The project developer for the South Coast Medical Center Hospital expansion project, Sheldon Pollock in Santa Monica, requested that we provide a wall that would eliminate shoring that would have been required for any other wall option  to support the existing Hospital embankment.

We proposed the “Terrace Wall” counterfort wall option which could be installed w/o shoring. A new building was to be constructed in front of and at a lower elevation than the existing five story structure.  To do this a portion of the sloping embankment in front of the existing center would have to be removed w/o disturbing the existing building (maximum allowed settlement would have to be less than 0.5 inch!

To accomplish this the contractor cut deep slots into the existing slope between the existing deep caisson foundation for the existing structure.  Since the site was is a stones throw from the ocean there is always a risk of morning rains etc. so the contractor was required to provide a site cover to eliminate any potential erosion should storms occur during wall construction.  The slope face was covered every night and over weekends.

Following the slot cutting the contractor placed the open  face counterforts in the slots and backfilled the portion of the counterforts w/in the slot cuts with slurry.  Subsequently the .5 meter wide wall panels were placed in the Terrace Wall reverse batter voids.

Due the the spacing and orientation of the wall panels there is approximately half of the wall face area that could be planted.  By selecting  maintenance free, continuously blooming plants with an emitter irrigation system the concrete members quickly disappeared as the planting matured.  As can be seen from the shots the result is a constantly changing pallet of color instead of a stark industrial look as would be the case for a conventional wall.  In addition, the wall reduces the effect highway and other noise sources which is an advantage for patients in the new structure.

At the request of the ASCE  we presented the Project for their annual meeting due to the unique features and advantages of the counterfort wall system.

Area Sheldon Pollock Client Plantable Wall Scope Of Work

Wiley Canyon 40′ Cut Wall

Wiley Canyon Road

Unique Features:

To lengthen the radius of a curve as well as to smooth out the road alignment a cut was required for Wiley Canyon.  To accomplish this without shoring the Stresswall system was selected.  Although the wall face is at a 1:12 batter (essentially vertical) random planting areas within the wall face for internal landscaping options were made possible with the large random planting “pockets” in the wall face.  Plants included both large flowering bushes as well as vines and ivy.

The counterforts were placed in slots cut into the existing embankment so that no shoring was required as would have been the case for other wall options.  Wall cut was utilized for wall fill.

Area Noveco Inc. Client Installation of Stresswall into Existing Slope Scope Of Work

LRT 132 ASCE Project of the Year Award

Fletcher Parkway at Jackson Dr. La Mesa, Calif.

Unique Features:

This ASCE award winning wall is the result of a value engineering proposal submitted to SANDAG (formerly MTDB) by the contractor. The original plan design was a typical MSE wall that required very specific wall fill.  All of the wall components are precast/prestressed elements and were made locally.  The essentially vertical wall with internal planting offset between the counterfort tiers are possible due to the unique revers batter counterfort configuration.  Morrison Knudsen was the engineer for the wall.

Brad Lewis (with KTU&A), the landscape architect, selected indigenous plants that alternatively bloomed continuously so that the wall face always has a variable color pallet.  Since emitters are used for irrigation water use is at a minimum.

One of the factors that added VECP was the reduced cost of fill for the counterfort wall compared to the MSE wall.  By utilizing construction debris from a landfill substantial savings were realized.  In addition, the erection rate for the counterfort wall was substanially faster than would have been the case for an MSE wall.

The MSE wall also required internal cip foundation supports for the catenary poles for rail power lines. Due to the structural capacity of the precast counerforts special counterforts were designed to support both the top tier wall panels and to be utilized as foundation support members for the catenary poles.

This wall, as well as other Stresswalls supplied to SANDAG, are designed for locomotive E 80 traffic.  During the day the rails are used by LRT lines whereas at night freight lines utilize the line.

 

Area Herzog Construction Client 32' High Rail Wall Scope Of Work