The Challenge
A prime location, but a difficult site adjacent to a busy state highway, presented a particular challenge in the development of a new CVS Pharmacy. A retaining wall was needed to make space for the required parking lot. Using a conventional geosynthetic-reinforced segmental wall was ruled out because the needed geogrid lengths extending into a PennDOT right-of-way would not be allowed.
Because of this restriction, the wall was originally designed as a soldier pile and precast-panel wall. After that design was deemed too expensive, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based project developer John DiSanto of Triple Crown Corporation looked for another solution.
“This was a very difficult job because the road was right above where the parking lot needed to be, and Lebanon Township had some strict regulations about where we could and couldn’t build,” DiSanto said. He turned to Bart Shippee, P.E. of Doylestown, Pennsylvania based Shippee Engineering Inc. to create a new design.
The Solution
Shippee proposed two options to DiSanto. The first was a reverse-cantilever concrete retaining wall and the second used the Anchorplex™ system, incorporating Vertica® products. The Anchorplex system is a retaining wall built with Anchor™ products and self-compacting structural backfill that meet ANCHOR DIAMOND specifications.
“Using the Anchorplex™ system created $160,000 in savings compared to the reverse-cantilever wall and over $200,000 in savings compared to the original soldier pile and precast-panel wall design,” Shippee said. “There were no issues designing the wall to stay out of the right-of-way and to meet the PennDOT traffic loading requirements. It was the best option for the 1,830-square-foot wall.”
DiSanto pointed out, “When you’re working with a national chain, they often want things done in a very quick manner, and we needed a solution that would be cost-effective, quick to install and would work with the space constraints we were facing. The Vertica® product and the Anchorplex system were perfect.”
Shippee agreed. “We wanted the Vertica product for two main reasons. First, the product has been proven very effective in Anchorplex systems. Second, it is the most upright system (2-degree system batter), which allowed for the required sidewalk and handrail to be installed behind the wall along the road.”
Because the Anchorplex system can be installed with smaller equipment, such as a skid-type loader, the roadway could remain open and the limited site access posed no problems for the contractor, Pickering Valley Landscapes of Glenmoore, Pennsylvania.
“Working with the Vertica product went really well for us,” DiSanto said. “I wasn’t very familiar with Anchor products prior to this job, and I was very impressed with the ease of installation and how quickly the wall went up.”
The Results
Despite challenges posed by heavy rains and tight working quarters, the project was ultimately a success. DiSanto was particularly pleased with not only the final wall once it was constructed, but the entire construction process.
“Building the wall went very smoothly, in part because of the support offered by ANCHOR Diamond. Having professionals from Anchor on site helped all of us working on the construction to feel comfortable with the products we were using.”
Good planning, a dedication to hard work and meticulous attention to safety details helped the project run smoothly, and incorporating the Vertica retaining wall system into the Anchorplex system helped create an attractive, functional and value-engineered retaining wall for the site.
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