Case Study
W. Paces Privacy Wall
Situation
A five-foot privacy wall surrounding the 100+ year-old site of the former Southern Center for International Studies location on West Paces Ferry Road was leaning and crumbling as the weight of the wall sank into soft soil underneath.
The age and historic character of the structure made stabilization and repair especially challenging.
At 240 feet, the length of the wall curving along a busy city street also presented special considerations. Blalock Construction contacted Cantsink to perform the intricate task of returning the wall to level alignment.
Scope of Work
The wall was divided into sections for repair, with 12-inch slices cut out every 25 feet to allow the masonry to be lifted in segments. This prevented lifting on one part of the wall from inflicting further damage on other parts.
The work required about three weeks as crews accomplished the leveling work section by section. Buried gas lines installed under the wall after it was originally built meant that all excavation had to be done by hand.
Wall repairs and rebuilding were supervised by an architect with historic preservation credentials. Repairs required special, historic masonry tools located and brought down from Virginia to preserve the original character of the wall.
Soil Conditions
Poor
Piling System
The length of the wall required a total of 54 remedial piles installed at five-foot intervals at depths averaging 24 feet under the masonry.
Design Load
10 Kips
Results
The wall was fully restored to level alignment and repaired in keeping with its historic character in July 2013. Not only is the wall more secure than before, but it is now stabilized to withstand the constant vibration from traffic on the busy Buckhead streets beside it. The beauty of the vintage masonry is preserved for generations to come. As the project was drawing to a close, neighbors and passers-by stopped to remark on the quality of the work and express their gratitude for the faithful preservation of this local landmark.
