United States Department of Transportation
i
Hilfiker reinforced soil embankment with full-height, cast-in-place concrete panels
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1992-05-01
[PDF-6.26 MB]
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Edition:Final report
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NTL Classification:NTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Construction and Maintenance
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Abstract:The objective of this project was to evaluate the construction and performance of a full-height retaining wall system. The contractor chose to use the Hilfiker Reinforced Soil Embankment with cast-in-place, concrete panels. The project included three Hilfiker walls at the interchange of I-20 and 24th St. in Phoenix. Construction of the embankment consisted of placing steel mesh reinforcing mats at 2' intervals, followed by placing and compacting the backfill material. Some of the backfill had to be imported as the on-site material failed resistivity tests. The concrete panels were poured after the embankment was completed. The concrete was poured from the top of the embankment, many times in excess of 20'. Because of the pour height, and difficulty in vibrating, air voids, hairline cracks, and honeycombing were prevalent in the northeast and southwest walls. The evaluation period began with the construction of the walls, September 1986, and extended through October 1991. The southeast wall is significantly distressed. A large vertical crack has formed along the Hilfiker wall-bridge abutment interface. Also, the anchor slab above the crack has been witnessed deflecting considerable (about 1"). A hypothesis tied to these problems is that a void may have formed beneath the anchor slab. Water exiting the embankment may be carrying soil out with it. An erosion channel immediately below the crack is evidence of water passing through the crack. The other walls also share these distresses to a much lesser degree. ADOT is currently investigating the cracks and deflections. Recommendations for future use of reinforced earth systems include increasing backfill density requirements and providing controlled drainage from the embankment. The drainage should be filtered to prevent the removal of backfill material. Also, during design, provision should be made for the geometric configurations of the features of the roadway, such as catch basins and light pole foundations. /Abstract from report summary page/
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