Retaining Walls

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Retaining Walls

Cost-effective alternatives to conventional retaining walls

Whether you’re building a retaining wall for a new shopping center with difficult sloping terrain, maximizing developable area of an industrial site, or need a temporary wall during traffic maintenance, Tensar is here to help. Used in nearly every sector, our retaining walls adapt to challenging site conditions of every kind and bring added value every step of the way.

As integrated systems, Tensar’s retaining wall solutions are easier to stage and install, and they provide long-term durability, performance and structural integrity. These systems can also reduce construction costs by allowing the use of varied backfill materials. Additionally, these geogrid wall systems can meet your project’s aesthetic or environmental needs with a wide variety of sizes, colors, and facing options, including stone, vegetated, and architectural veneers.

  • Two-Staged MSE Walls
  • Bridge Abutments
  • Pressure Relief Walls
  • Detention Ponds & Stormwater Retention
  • Temporary Retaining Walls

Two-Staged MSE Walls Bridge Abutments Pressure Relief Walls Detention Ponds & Stormwater Retention Temporary Retaining Walls

Two-Staged MSE Walls

Retaining walls built on soft soils risk post-construction settlement issues, including deformation at the wall face. Conventional solutions for constructing over areas of excessive total or differential settlement may first require excavation and replacement of settlement-prone soils, deep pile foundations or temporary surcharge embankments. However, each of these methods is time-consuming and can be extremely expensive.

By contrast, two-stage wall construction saves time and expense to meet both structural and aesthetic objectives. In the first stage, the retention structure is built, allowing foundation settlement to occur. The second stage adds a permanent aesthetic wall facing.

Tensar’s ARES® two-stage construction wall system combines a flexible, settlement-tolerant, mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall structure with a permanent facing element. Following installation of the MSE structure, facing options include precast ARES modular or full height panels, Mesa® segmental retaining wall (SRW) units or cast-in-place concrete.

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Bridge Abutments

Bridge abutments are among the most demanding grade separation applications. Differential settlement, traffic loads and seismic events continually test their structural integrity and long-term performance. Furthermore, construction components are subjected to chemical corrosion, hydrolysis, and more.

Tensar’s MSE retaining wall systems have proven to be effective solutions for the construction and design of bridge abutments – so effective that the need for pilings is routinely eliminated. ARES retaining wall system, Mesa retaining wall system, and SierraScape® wire-formed retaining wall system are all well-suited for bridge abutments.

Pressure Relief Walls

Traditional pressure relief walls, including cast-in-place concrete and counterfort walls, are costly and can be difficult to stage and install. Structurally equivalent to conventional solutions, Tensar’s SierraScape retaining wall system offers an effective yet lower cost alternative. The SierraScape system is also an ideal alternative to the demolition and replacement of existing structures and can accommodate increased loads at expansion facilities.

Explore SierraScape System

Detention Ponds & Stormwater Retention

Stormwater issues present ongoing challenges to engineers, owner/developers, contractors and governing authorities. While meeting stormwater quality standards is a mandate, maximizing land use remains a top priority. Detention ponds and extended storage ponds provide effective solutions to national, state and local requirements for stormwater runoff control and management.

While conventional approaches can be used, three of Tensar’s MSE systems offer innovative, cost-effective solutions to increase storage volume while minimizing the impact on usable land: Mesa retaining wall system, SierraScape retaining wall system, and Sierra® Slope retention system. Each can be specified to steepen the interior sides of a pond or the external sides of a berm. More economical and attractive than conventional concrete structures, our solutions add aesthetic and environmental value.

Temporary Retaining Walls

Temporary walls are required for many types of staged construction, and pile systems have been the preferred choice for many years. But these systems are expensive, requiring heavy lifting and pile-driving equipment as well as skilled labor for installation.

Tensar’s temporary retaining wall system is a proven technology that allows you to build temporary walls without the challenges and expense of conventional techniques. With an economical wire-form facing system, lightweight installation equipment and use of unskilled labor, Tensar temporary walls provide a durable, low-cost alternative to sheet pile walls. These retaining walls are ideal for traffic maintenance, staged construction, and similar projects.

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Success Stories

Kansas City, MO

Briarcliff Apartments

Market: Residential Application: Retaining Wall Benefit: Use of recycled concrete for backfill, providing overall cost savings.

Delaware County, OH

County Road 124 Overpass

Market: Public Roads Application: Retaining Wall Benefit: Ability to use locally available backfill material

Charlottesville, VA

John Paul Jones Arena

Market: University Application: Pressure Relief Wall Benefit: Performance and Sustainability  

Vancouver, BC

Port Mann Bridge

Market: Public Roads Application: Reinforced Slope Benefit: Cost savings and contributing to sustainability  

San Diego County, CA

SR-76 Temporary Bridge

Market: Public Roads Application: Temporary Retaining Wall Benefit: Construction of true abutments able to handle large surcharge loads.

Bronx, NY

Major Deegan Expressway

Market: Walls and Slopes Application: Retaining Walls Benefit: The use of recycled concrete aggregate as backfill created significant cost savings.

Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Viaducto 16+480 Amplición Doble Vía Santa Cruz – Warnes

Market: Vías Públicas Application: Muros de Contención

Comayagua, Honduras

Carretera CA-5

Market: Vías Públicas Application: Muros de Contención

Departamento de Copán, Honduras

Muros Lote 3 – Copán Ruinas

Market: Trabajos Públicos Application: Muros de Contención

Zitacuaro, Michoacán, México

El Águila

Market: Vías Públicas Application: Muros de Contención

Mulatos, Sonora, México

Mina Mulatos

Market: Minería Application: Muros de Contención

Jarabacoa, La Vega, República Dominicana

Carretera El Río – Jarabacoa

Market: Vías Públicas Application: Muro de Contención

Santo Domingo Este, República Dominicana

Elevados Autopista Las Américas

Market: Vías Públicas Application: Muro de Contención

Gurabo, Santiago de los Caballeros, República Dominicana

Cerros de Gurabo

Market: Residencial Application: Muro de Contención

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Retaining Wall Products & Systems

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Uniaxial (UX) Geogrids

Degradation-resistant solution carries high tensile loads applied in one direction

Mesa® Retaining Wall Systems

Single-source segmental retaining wall with proven performance

Olympia® Retaining Wall Systems

A single block that can be set horizontally or vertically to create endless pattern options

ARES® Retaining Wall Systems

Modular and full-height panel walls with choice of textures and patterns

SierraScape® Retaining Wall System

Single-source welded wire face solution with multiple facing options

Sierra® Slope Retention System

Natural aesthetic appeal coupled with significantly reduced material and installation costs

Temporary Retaining Wall System

Simplify planning with walls that can be left in places or removed as needed

TensarSoil

Design with confidence, from anywhere.

When your reputation is on the line, you need to minimize risk with predictable and proven designs. Let us help you find the right design for your project. TensarSoil is the tool successful engineers use to stay in control. Compatible with several major design methodologies and fully interactive, TensarSoil makes designing segmental retaining walls simple, fast, and cost-efficient. And TensarSoil can now be easily downloaded from within Tensar+, our award-winning design software

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Temporary Walls CAD Details

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