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CONCRETE GABION
RETAINING WALL SYSTEM ENGINEERING & TESTING
ENGINEERING BASED ON FLUME TESTS
STUDIES CONDUCTED BY THE
UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR, ONTARIO
THE INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
DR. J.A. McCORQUODALE, Ph.D., P.E. |
30630 Forest Boulevard
P.O. Box 119
Stacy, MN 55079
612.462.4466
1.800.433.9143
FAX: 612.462.1693 |
Scale model tests on the concrete gabion were
conducted using a scale of 1:12, and a desilicated sand was used for the backfill. The
sand had a friction angle of approximately 38 degrees. Both saturated and unsaturated
rapid draw down tests were made.The blocks were arranged in four different configurations,
and they were as follows:
1) Free standing blocks with backfill. No
anchors or block interconnections were used between the blocks.
2) Free standing blocks with backfill and
interconnections between the blocks. No anchors were used.
3) Free standing blocks with backfill and
anchors. No interconnections between the blocks.
4) Free standing blocks with backfill,
anchors, and interconnections between the blocks.
| CASE |
3 BLOCKS HIGH UNSATURATED |
3 BLOCKS HIGH SATURATED |
4 BLOCKS HIGH UNSATURATED |
4 BLOCKS HIGH SATURATED |
| 1 |
STABLE |
MARGINAL |
MARGINAL |
FAILS |
| 2 |
STABLE |
STABLE |
STABLE |
STABLE |
| 3 |
STABLE |
STABLE |
STABLE |
MARGINAL |
| 4 |
STABLE |
STABLE |
STABLE |
STABLE |
In the above tests, "MARGINAL" meant
that there was a slight movement of the wall, but failure did not occur All of the above
test results were based on failure not occurring in the foundation soil.
In all of the tests, the base block was placed with 1/3rd of the base block buried below
the bed. The toe of the wall was protected from undermining by Cable Concrete mats. In
Case 2, where the wall was 4 blocks high, a 1 m layer of soil was added as a surcharge
load. The wall remained stable for both the saturated and the unsaturated tests.
Important updates to the system that followed
the above test results, updates that adds more stability to the system:
- The base block is now centered on the base slab to reduce the toe overturn potential
- The base block has also been given a 5% lean back
- The use of soil stabilization blankets between each layer of blocks on the wall. The
process is to lay the base block layer, then place the soil stabilization blanket back
into the slope and repeat the layering process. This is a viable option on high wall
systems
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