SPECIFICATION FOR SEGMENTAL RETAINING WALL SYSTEMS

PART 1:	GENERAL

1.01	Description

	A.	Work includes furnishing and installing segmental retaining wall (SRW) units to the lines 			and grades designated on the construction drawings or as directed by the Architect/Engineer.  
		Also included is furnishing and installing appurtenant materials required for construction of the 			retaining wall as shown on the construction drawings.

1.02 	Reference Standards

	A. 	Segmental Retaining Wall Units

		1.	ASTM C 140	- Sampling and Testing Concrete Masonry Units

	B.  	Geosynthetic Reinforcement

		1.	ASTM D 4595 	- Tensile Properties of Geotextiles by the Wide-Width Strip Method.
		2.	ASTM D 5262 	- Test Method for Evaluating the Unconfined Creep Behavior of 						   Geosynthetics
		3.	GRI:GG1 	 - Single Rib Geogrid Tensile Strength
		4.	GRI:GG5 	 - Geogrid Pullout

	C. 	Soils

		1.	ASTM D 698	- Moisture Density Relationship for Soils, Standard Method
		2.	ASTM D 422 	- Gradation of Soils
		3. 	ASTM 4318 	- Atterberg Limits of Soil

	D. 	Drainage Pipe

		1.	ASTM 3034 - Specification for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Plastic Pipe
		2.	ASTM D1248 - Specification for Corrugated Plastic Pipe 

	E.	Where specifications and reference documents conflict, the Architect/Engineer shall make the final 		determination of applicable document.

1.03	Submittals

	A.	Material Submittals: The Contractor shall submit manufacturers' certifications two weeks prior to start 		of work stating that the SRW units and geosynthetic reinforcement meet the requirements of Section 2 		of this specification.

	B. 	Design Submittal:  The Contractor shall submit two sets of detailed design calculations and construction 		drawings for approval at least two weeks prior to the beginning of wall 	construction. All calculations 		and drawings shall be prepared and sealed by a professional Civil Engineer (Wall Design Engineer) 		experienced in SRW wall design and licensed in the state where the wall is to be built.

1.04	Delivery, Storage and Handling

	A	Contractor shall check materials upon delivery to assure that specified type and grade of materials have 		been received and proper color and texture of SRW units have been received.
	B.	Contractor shall prevent excessive mud, wet concrete, epoxies, and like materials which may affix 			themselves, from coming in contact with materials.
	C. 	Contractor shall store and handle materials in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations.
	D.	Contractor shall protect materials from damage.  Damaged materials shall not be incorporated into 		the retaining wall.

PART 2:	MATERIALS

2.01 	Segmental Retaining Wall Units

	A.	SRW units shall be machine formed, Portland Cement concrete blocks specifically designed for 			retaining wall applications.  SRW units currently approved for this project are:
			
			Versa-Lok Retaining Wall Units as manufactured by ___________________.

	B.	Color of SRW units shall be _____________.
	C.	Finish of SRW units shall be split face.
	D.	SRW unit faces shall be of straight geometry.
	E.	SRW unit height shall be six inches.
	F.	SRW units (not including aggregate fill in unit voids) shall provide a minimum weight of 105 psf 			wall face area.
	G.	SRW units shall be solid through the full depth of the unit.
	H.	SRW units shall have a depth (front face to rear) to height ratio of 2:1, minimum.
	I.	SRW units shall be interlocked with connection pins, designed with proper setback to provide 8:1 			vertical to horizontal batter (a 7 degree cant from vertical).
	J. 	SRW units shall be capable of being erected with the horizontal gap between adjacent units not 			exceeding 1/8 inches.
	K.	For any corners shown on the construction plans, SRW units shall be capable of providing overlap of 		units on each successive course so that walls meeting at corner are interlocked and continuous.  SRW 		units that require corners to be mitered shall not be allowed.
	L.	SRW units shall be capable of providing a split face, textured surface for all vertical surfaces that will 		be exposed after completion of wall, including any exposed sides and backs of units.
	M.	SRW units shall be sound and free of cracks or other defects that would interfere with the proper 			placing of the unit or significantly impair the strength or permanence of the structure.  Cracking or 		excessive chipping may be grounds for rejection.  Units showing cracks longer than 1/2" shall not be 		used within the wall.  Units showing chips visible at a distance of 30 feet from the wall shall not be used 		within the wall.	
	N.	Concrete used to manufacture SRW units shall have a minimum 28 days compressive strength of 3,000 		psi and a maximum moisture absorption rate, by weight, of 8% as determined in accordance with 			ASTM C 140.  Compressive strength test specimens shall conform to the saw-cut coupon provisions of 		Section 5.2.4 of ASTM C140 with the following exception:   Coupon shall be taken from the least 			dimension of the unit of a size and shape representing the geometry of the unit as a whole.
	O.	SRW units' molded dimensions shall not differ more than + 1/8 inch from that specified, except height 		which shall be + 1/16 inch as measured in accordance with ASTM C140.
	
2.02	Segmental Retaining Wall Unit Connection Pins
	
	A. 	SRW units shall be interlocked with connection pins.  The pins shall consist of glass-reinforced nylon 			made for the expressed use with the SRW units supplied.

2.03	Geosynthetic Reinforcement	

	A.	Geosynthetic reinforcement shall consist of geogrids or geotextiles manufactured as a soil 			reinforcement element. The manufacturers/suppliers of the geosynthetic reinforcement shall have 			demonstrated construction of similar size and types of segmental retaining walls on previous projects.  		
		The geosynthetic type must be approved one week prior to bid opening.  Geosynthetic types currently 		approved for this project are:
			
				___________

	B.	The type, strength, and placement location of the reinforcing geosynthetic shall be as determined by the		Wall Design Engineer, as shown on their final, sealed construction plans. 

2.04	Leveling Pad

	A.	Material for leveling pad shall consist of compacted sand, gravel, or combination thereof and shall be a 		minimum of 6 inches in depth.  Lean concrete with a strength of 200-300 psi and three inches thick 		maximum may also be used as a leveling pad material.  The leveling pad should extend laterally at least 		a distance of 6 inches from the toe and heel of the lowermost SRW unit.

2.05	Drainage Aggregate

	A.	Drainage aggregate shall be angular, clean stone or granular fill meeting the following gradation as 		determined in accordance with ASTM D422

			Sieve Size		Percent Passing

			1 inch			100
			3/4 inch			75-100
			No. 4			0-60
			No. 40			0-50
			No. 200			0-5
	
2.06	Drainage Pipe

	A.	The drainage collection pipe shall be a perforated or slotted PVC, or corrugated HDPE pipe.  The 			drainage pipe may be wrapped with a geotextile to function as a filter.

	B. 	Drainage pipe shall be manufactured in accordance with ASTM D 3034 and/or ASTM D 1248

2.07 	Reinforced (Infill) Soil

	A.	The reinforced soil material shall be free of debris.  Unless otherwise noted on plans prepared by the 		Wall Design Engineer, the reinforced material shall consist of the inorganic USCS soil types GP, GW, 		SW, SP, SM meeting the following gradation, as determined in accordance with ASTM D422:

			Sieve Size		Percent Passing

			4 inch			100
			No. 4			20-100
			No. 40			0-60
			No. 200			0-35

	B.	The maximum particle size of poorly-graded gravels (GP) (no fines) should not exceed 3/4 inch unless 		geosynthetic strength is reduced to account for additional installation damage from particles larger than 		this maximum.
	
	C.	The plasticity of the fine fraction shall be less than 20.

PART 3: 	DESIGN PARAMETERS

3.01	Soil

	A.	The following soil parameters, as determined by the Owner's Geotechnical Engineer shall be used for 		the preparation of the final design:
	
						Unit Weight	Internal Friction 		Cohesion (c)
						(g) (pcf)		Angle (f) (degrees)			
			
			Reinforced Fill		________	____________		0
			Retained Soil		________	____________		0
			Foundation Soil		________	____________		__________

		(If internal friction angles are not available for the above section, the 			specifier can provide the USCS soil type classification for the reinforced, 		retained, and foundation soils and/or attach the geotechnical 				investigation report for this project.)

	B.	Should the actual soil conditions observed during construction differ from those assumed for the design, 		design shall be reviewed by the Wall Design Engineer at the Owner's Geotechnical Engineer's direction. 
3.02	Design

	A.	The design provided by the Contractor and prepared by the Wall Design Engineer shall consider the 		internal and local stability of the reinforced soil mass and shall be in accordance with acceptable 			engineering practice and these specifications.  External stability including bearing capacity, global 			stability, and total and differential settlement is the responsibility of the Owner or the Owner's 			Geotechnical Engineer.
	
	B.	For constructability considerations, maximum vertical spacing between geogrid layers shall be 2.0 feet.
	
	(C.)	(If the Owner wants the final wall design to be prepared according to a 		particular design methodology, the design standard should be specified 		here.  Delete this section (C.) if not required.)

PART 4:	CONSTRUCTION

4.01	Inspection

	A.	The Owner or Owner's Representative is responsible for verifying that the contractor meets all the 			requirements of the specification.  This includes all submittals for materials and design, qualifications,
		and proper installation of wall system.

	B.	Contractor's field construction supervisor shall have demonstrated experience and be qualified to direct 		all work at the site.

4.02	Excavation

	A.	Contractor shall excavate to the lines and grades shown on the project grading plans.  Contractor shall
		take precautions to minimize over-excavation.  Over-excavation shall be filled with compacted infill 
		material, or as directed by the Engineer/Architect, at the Contractor's expense.

	B.	Contractor shall verify location of existing structures and utilities prior to excavation.  Contractor 
		shall ensure all surrounding structures are protected from the effects of wall excavation.  Excavation 		support, if required, is the responsibility of the Contractor

4.03	Foundation Preparation

	A.	Following the excavation, the foundation soil shall be examined by the Owner's Engineer to assure 		actual foundation soil strength meets or exceeds the assumed design bearing strength.  Soils not meeting 		the required strength shall be removed and replaced with infill soils, as directed by the Owner's 			Engineer.

	B.	Foundation soil shall be proofrolled and compacted to 95% standard Proctor density and inspected	 		by the Owner's Engineer prior to placement of leveling pad materials.

4.04	Leveling Pad Construction

	A.	Leveling pad shall be placed as shown on the construction drawings with a minimum thickness of 6
		inches.  The leveling pad should extend laterally at least a distance of 6 inches from the toe and heel 
		of the lower most SRW Unit.

	B.	Soil leveling pad material shall be compacted to provide a firm, level bearing surface on which to place 		the first	course of units.  Well-graded sand can be used to smooth the top 1/2 to 1/4 inch of the 			leveling pad.  Compaction will be with mechanical plate compactors to achieve 95% of maximum 			standard  Proctor density  (ASTM D 698).

4.05	SRW Unit Installation

	A.	All SRW units shall be installed at the proper elevation and orientation as shown on the wall profiles 		and details on the construction plans or as directed by the Engineer.  The SRW units shall be installed 		in general accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.  The 	specifications and drawings 		shall govern in any conflict between the two requirements.

	B.	First course of SRW units shall be placed on the leveling pad.  The units shall be leveled side-to-side, 
		front-to-rear and with adjacent units, and aligned to ensure intimate contact with the leveling pad.  The 		first course is the most important to ensure accurate and acceptable results.  No gaps shall be left 			between 	the front of adjacent units.  Alignment may be done by means of a string line or offset from 		base line to the back of the units.  

	C.	Clean all excess debris from top of units and install next course. 

	D.	Insert two connection pins through pin holes of each upper course unit into receiving slots
		in lower course units.  Pins shall be fully seated in the pin slot below.  Push units forward to remove any 		looseness in the unit-to-unit connection and then check alignment.  Check level and alignment of the 		units.

	E.	Lay out of curves and corners shall be installed in accordance with the plan details or in general 			accordance with SRW manufacturer's installation guidelines.  Walls meeting at corners shall be 			interlocked by overlapping successive courses.

	F.	Repeat procedures to extent of wall height.

	G.	The wall face cant shall not differ more than + 2 degrees from that specified. 

4.06	 Geosynthetic Reinforcement Placement

A.	All geosynthetic reinforcement shall be installed at the proper elevation and orientation as shown on the                              wall profiles and details on the final construction plans or as directed by the Engineer.

	B.	At the elevations shown on the final plans, the geosynthetic reinforcement shall be laid horizontally on 		compacted infill and on top of the concrete SRW units.  Embedment of the geosynthetic in the SRW 		units shall be consistent with SRW manufacturer's recommendations.  Correct orientation of the 			geosynthetic reinforcement shall be verified by the Contractor to be in accordance with the geosynthetic 		manufacturer's recommendations.  The highest strength direction of the geosynthetic must be 			perpendicular to the wall face.

	C.	Geosynthetic reinforcement layers shall be one continuous piece for their entire embedment length.  		Overlap of the geosynthetic in the design strength direction (perpendicular to the wall face) shall not be 		permitted. 

	D.	Tracked construction equipment shall not be operated directly on the geosynthetic reinforcement.  A 		minimum of 6 inches of backfill is required prior to operation of tracked vehicles over the 			geosynthetic.  Turning should be kept to a minimum.  Rubber-tired equipment may pass over the 			geosynthetic reinforcement at slow speeds (less than 5 mph).

	E.	The geosynthetic reinforcement shall be in tension and free of wrinkles prior to placement of soil 
		fill.  The nominal tension shall be applied to the reinforcement and secured in place with staples, 			stakes or by hand tensioning until reinforcement is covered by six inches of fill.

4.07	Drainage Materials

	A.	Drainage aggregate shall be installed to the line, grades, and sections shown on the final plans.  			Drainage fill shall be placed to the minimum thickness shown on the construction plans between and 		behind units.

	B.	Drainage collection pipes shall be installed to maintain gravity flow of water outside the reinforced soil 		zone.  The drainage collection pipe shall daylight into a storm sewer manhole or along a slope at an 		elevation lower than the lowest point of the pipe within the aggregate drain.

4.08	 Backfill Placement

	A.	The reinforced backfill shall be placed as shown in the construction plans in the maximum compacted 		lift thickness of 10 inches and shall be compacted to a minimum of 95% of standard Proctor density 		(ASTM D 698) at a moisture content within 2% of optimum. The backfill shall be placed and spread 		in such a manner as to eliminate wrinkles or movement of the geosynthetic reinforcement and the 			SRW units.
	
	B.	Only hand-operated compaction equipment shall be allowed within 3 feet of the front of the wall face.  		Compaction within the 3 feet behind the wall face shall be achieved by at least three (4) passes of a 		lightweight mechanical tamper, plate, or roller.

	C.	At the end of each day's operation, the Contractor shall slope the last level of backfill away from the 		wall facing to direct water runoff away from the wall face.

	D.	At completion of wall construction, backfill shall be placed level with final top of wall elevation.  			If final grading, paving, landscaping, and/or storm drainage installation adjacent to the wall is not 			placed immediately after wall completion, temporary surface drainage shall be provided to ensure 			water runoff is not directed at the wall nor allowed to collect or pond behind the wall until final 			construction adjacent to the wall is completed.

4.09	SRW Caps

	A.	SRW caps shall be properly aligned and glued to underlying units with Versa-Lok concrete adhesive or 		an equivalent, flexible, high-strength concrete adhesive.  Rigid adhesive or mortar are not acceptable.

	B.	Caps shall overhang the top course of units by 3/4 to 1 inch.  Slight variation in overhang is allowed to 		correct alignment at the top of the wall.

4.10	Construction Adjacent to Completed Wall

	A. 	The Owner or Owner's Representative is responsible for ensuring that construction adjacent to the wall 		by others does not disturb the wall or place temporary construction loads on the wall that exceed design 		loads, including loads such as water pressure, temporary grades, or equipment loading.  Heavy paving 		or grading equipment shall be kept a minimum of three feet behind the back of the wall face.  			Equipment with wheel loads in excess of 150 psf live load shall not be operated with 10 feet of the face 		of the retaining wall during construction adjacent to the wall.  Care should be taken by the General 		Contractor to ensure water runoff is directed away from the wall structure until final grading and 			surface drainage collection systems are completed.

END OF SECTION