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ESPLANADE ROCK RETAINING WALL

Columbia, South Carolina

In an effort to redevelop property along the Columbia Canal, the City of Columbia hired FME to study an 800-foot long historic rock retaining wall to determine the composition of the wall and see if modifications were needed to support the proposed development. Due to the historic nature of the site and the age of the retaining wall, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History wanted the wall’s appearance to remain unaltered.

Using the data gathered during our field exploration, FME analyzed the retaining wall’s internal and external global stability for static loads, revealing that the wall was deficient. As a result, FME developed a design utilizing lightweight aggregate that reduced the surcharge on the wall and used the hardscape of the proposed linear park, Esplanade, atop the rock retaining wall to brace the top of the wall. The combination of the reduced surcharge and bracing of the wall at the top solved the internal and external global stability issues. FME’s innovative approach and design exceeded the expectations of both the City and Department of Archives and History. Very little modification to the face of the wall was required and the cost of implementing the design was significantly less than originally budgeted.

In addition, FME provided the City with design and specifications for the wall stabilization, as well as geotechnical recommendations for the Esplanade design. During construction, FME performed inspection and construction administration for the wall stabilization and materials testing and inspections for the Esplanade. Services included oversight of the excavation and placement of lightweight fill behind the rock retaining wall. Careful removal of soil from behind the wall and proper placement of the fill was critical, because damage to the wall during construction would have required a re-design of the entire project and caused construction delays.