Gravity Walls Protect Marina & Homes

Redi-Rock gravity walls replace existing marina retaining walls in danger of failing

THE CHALLENGE

In 2010, the owner of the Caseville Resort and Marina was ready to fix the retaining walls at his development once and for all. A massive dry cast wall had been installed in 1998 but had failed twice and was in danger of failing again. "The owner wanted the problem fixed, and he wanted it done right this time," explained Joel Stalo, owner of Michigan Pavers and Walls.

Homes stood above the retaining wall and would be in danger if the existing wall failed. Below the retaining wall was an 8 foot (2.4 meters) wide boardwalk area and 60 boat/yacht slips that were also threatened.

A Redi-Rock gravity wall saved these homes.

THE SOLUTION

"The owner could have done another small block wall," Stalo explained. "But he just didn't feel comfortable putting his faith in ½ inch 12.7 millimeters) fiberglass pins again. That's why he chose Redi-Rock - he was confident in the system and confident that the Redi-Rock walls would stand the test of time."

Jeff Anagnastou of Applied Geotechnical Services designed 1,100 lineal feet (304.8 meters) of gravity retaining walls for the project. The tallest wall stood 26.5 feet (8 meters) tall at the highest point and was topped with Cobblestone texture columns every 10 feet (3 meters). In total the project required roughly 4,000 Redi-Rock blocks totaling 21,000 square feet (1951 square meters).

Construction on the main wall began in the fall of 2011 after all the boaters had left. The sheet pile wall in the water was removed and replaced first in sections, then Stalo's crew followed behind to lift up the houses using a crane, demolish the existing small block wall, excavate and install the Redi-Rock blocks, and install proper backfill before setting down the house and moving further down the wall. The entire wall was constructed by machinery on the 8 foot (2.4 meter) wide boardwalk below the wall.

Installation of this retaining wall was tricky; all the homes needed to be lifted and the walls needed to be installed on a narrow stretch of land at the bottom of the wall.

THE OUTCOME

The project turned out great and everyone is happy-the owner of the marina and the homeowners," Stalo said. "My guys were like celebrities in that town. They'd go to the pub to get dinner and everyone would say, 'Oh, you guys are the wall guys! It looks awesome!' "

This project was also awarded the 2012 Hardscape North America Project Award for Segmental Retaining Walls in the category of Commercial/Industrial, more than 5,000 square feet (464.5 square meters).

The project was finished with Cobblestone columns, steps, and caps, creating a unique, cohesive look.

PROJECT DETAILS

Project: Caseville Resort & Marina #158 Customer: Caseville Resort & Marina Design/Specifying Engineer: Jeff Anagnastou, Applied Geotechnical Services Block Manufacturer: Livingston Concrete/Redi-Wall Installer: Joel Stalo, Michigan Pavers & Walls Location: Caseville, Michigan Year Built: 2010-2012

PRODUCTS FEATURED IN THIS CASE STUDY

Gravity Retaining Wall Blocks - Massive, one-ton Redi-Rock gravity blocks rely on the sheer mass of each block to hold back the earth.

Columns - Redi-Rock columns can coordinate with retaining walls or freestanding walls, and even fencing!

Steps - Redi-Rock steps blocks look like natural stone steps, but have consistent dimensions so they're easy to walk on.

Caps - Redi-Rock cap blocks are the perfect way to finish a retaining wall, freestanding wall, or column.