Clayton County Retaining Wall

Situation

Cantsink was contacted by Integrated Construction and Nobility to provide stability for a retaining wall in Clayton County International Park. The park, which was the site for the 1996 Olympic Beach Volleyball competition, is a popular area destination. The retaining wall is part of a new walkway system that will cross the park. Stability Engineering recommended the helical pier system from Cantsink to support the wall.

Scope of Work

The job required installation of more than four dozen helical piers below the footing of the retaining wall. An existing trench more than three feet deep was surrounded by softly compacted fill dirt. The softness of the surrounding fill created precarious conditions for the skid steer needed to install the helical piers. Instead, the Cantsink crew attached an extra-long, 27-foot boom to the front of the skid steer, which allowed the drive head to reach over a 10-foot span to reach the trench for installation without danger of collapsing the soft soil around it. The engineer also specified that the piers had to be installed at a 25-degree angle at the front edge of the retaining wall footer and a 45-degree angle along its rear edge.

Anchor System

56 helical piers totaling 1,778 feet of total footing inserted to an average depth of 31 feet.

Results

The Cantsink crew completed the work in three days, achieving the specified angles by using a versatile Small Digga Drive Head. With the support of Cantsink's patented helical piers, the construction of the retaining wall could proceed immediately and county officials are assured that the retaining wall will be secure and stable for generations to come.