Case Studies
Repair of Two Failing Retaining Walls
Situation: The home had a backyard pool that was beginning to slide away from the
house and the double retaining wall surrounding the pool was cracked and
bowing outward. During the evaluation, Ram Jack discovered that the home
was constructed on subterranean rock formation. When the concrete pool
was installed, it was back-filled with rock from previous demolitions.
This creates voids underground making structures more susceptible to shifting
and sinking.
Solution: Originally, the plan was to stabilize the walls the traditional way by
transferring tension loads from the existing retaining wall to a soil
suitable for the load. But, due to the amount of stone and rubble behind
the wall and the pool posing as a barrier, owner, Rick Sykes, opted to
take the reverse approach, and designed a solution using a battered pile
method-installing helicals in at approximately a 45-degree angle going
away from the double retaining wall. He consulted with the structural
engineer who agreed that the compression approach would in fact provide
the necessary support to prevent additional failure.
Conclusion: The Ram Jack crew installed three helical piles to stabilize the footing
settlement and eleven helical tiebacks to stabilize the bowing retaining
walls. Customized plates were made and welding took place on site.
Download the full case study in PDF format