A Midwestern Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded an embankment slide repair contract to a general contractor where the repair included excavation of the slide mass and replacement with angular rock. As the excavation neared completion, a tension crack developed in the pavement above the cut. The DOT was maintaining traffic at the top of the excavation area and was concerned that the slope would fail before the contractor reached the planned depth.
The DOT instructed the contractor to replace the exhumed material and halt the project immediately. Furthermore, the DOT decided that temporary shoring should be installed to prevent the tension crack from developing into a full-blown slide that would take the road out of service. It was estimated that a temporary shoring design and construction for this project would cost $200,000 and take six to eight weeks to complete.
The DOT’s Geotechnical Engineer contacted GeoStabilization International® and requested a proposal to provide emergency shoring services. GeoStabilization was awarded the contract and completed the project in only four days for a cost of approximately $40,000; keeping the project’s schedule on track.
Landslides impact all 50 states, contributing to 25 to 50 deaths per year and causing over $1 billion in damage. When disaster strikes, a shoring wall is an economical solution that can save lives and allow communities to continue daily activities with minimal disruption.
Industry leaders like GeoStabilization International® specialize in open excavation shoring and provide specialty contracting to tackle tough emergency repairs like the one from the Midwestern Department of Transportation in Ohio. When the unexpected happens, their team of experts takes on the challenge and acts safely and quickly while saving time and money.
A shoring wall is a temporary, economical, and safe design that supports a structure during repairs or construction. Shoring retaining walls keep dirt, foundations, or walls from falling into construction sites as crew members excavate the area.
Excavation shoring walls improve safety at the work site by keeping workers safe when preventing landslides or collapsing walls. They also help expedite the construction process preventing collapses which can be costly setbacks in any type of project.
Different types of shoring may be suitable depending on the project type, the existing structure’s stability, and the type of land surrounding your area.
Also called tangent pile shoring, this type of shoring is ideal for city construction, including basement construction and bridge abutments with horizontal loads. Contractors build reinforced piles two to six inches apart to support pile walls. Contiguous pile shoring is faster and less expensive to construct than other types of shoring.
Contractors create this type of shoring by interlocking secant piles together to form a wall. This type of structure works best in areas where open excavation is impossible, such as emergency repairs in spaces with tight property lines.
The main use of this type of shoring is to separate soil and bodies of water. With this method, you can weld sheet piles together to isolate an existing structure from a creek, river, or harbor. If a change in water pressure or level causes a landslide, the sheet pile shoring can help prevent further damage.
Professionals drill six-meter-long launched soil nails into silt, sand, clay, or soil and then add reinforcement material to prevent shifting soil mass. These galvanized steel tubes, or Soil Nails, secure soil in excavation projects quickly with a compressed air cannon, at a rate of 250 nails per day.
Because lightweight wire mesh walls don’t require lifting or bracing equipment, they are one of the fastest, most accessible types of shoring to install. As a result, wire mesh is perfect for roadway projects including temporary ramps to shift traffic during construction, and foundations for heavy equipment.
If you need emergency shoring wall repair or are working on a construction project that could benefit from excavation shoring services, GeoStabilization International® can help. As a trusted geohazard mitigation company, we assess your unique needs and offer tailored solutions that save time and money while keeping safety our top priority. Contact us at 855-579-0536 to learn how our team of professionals can protect your property during a natural disaster.
If you are interested in a no-obligation site visit to determine if our services fit your geohazard mitigation needs, call us at 855-579-0536 or fill out our contact form.
