[BJR]

These are some pics of a large wall we are building at the moment.

Instead of using Tensar grid behind the walls we use No Fines Concrete. This makes them a gravity wall instead of a soil reinforced wall.

We excavated for this wall, then overnight the bank collapsed into the footing. Bugger.

[BJR]

closeup of no fines concrete. We were to have an even thickness of 600mm (2ft) behind the wall. But to quickly stabalise the cut we just over filled to the cut. we are now able to shore up the top 2 lifts so the we have the same quantity of noi fines in total.

The wall will be 2.7m (9ft) high when finished.

[BJR]

BUGGER!

[Green4Me]

The no fines concrete gravity wall. I have not seen that much here in the states. The flavor of the month for years now has been tensar grid on the public projects I have been involved with. It looks like a very solid installation though.

Is this the rainy season in Australia? Now in Oregon we are going into winter (rainy) and we now cover spoils piles and some excavations with plastic. I'm not sure by your photos if that would help in your case. Looks like the cutbanks failed due to water traveling through the ground and not just runoff.

Bugger is right!
good luck

[Stonehenge]

Something else of interest - the wall units appear to be identical to a brand in the Midwest of the US called Rockwood. Same name down under?

[BJR]

Yep, Rockwood Classic. By what use to be Rocla Masonry untill they were taken over by C&M.

It's Spring here and yes it did rain, but after the enbankment collapsed. It failed because only 300mm behind the cut is a 2 year old trench for a sewa main. The ground was somewhat unstable. Thought we might get away with it though. Still any extra work due to this type of occurrence is an extra cost to the client.

I'm also pretty sure that you can't use no fine concrete where the ground freezes.

And yes we do cover our cuts with plastic if rain is forecast. Although I get more problems with the plastic blowing away in strong wind, than I do with rain.