When a project requires multiple grade changes, the details can quickly become complicated. Construction time and costs can increase exponentially if the right solution is not provided. K. J. Beamish Construction Co. was tasked with reconstructing a section of Bathurst Street for the Regional Municipality of York, ON. This vital road needed widening to allow free-flowing traffic through a previously bottlenecked area. Two mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) slopes with various facing elements needed to be installed, with one slope requiring installation over the top of a large culvert. Due to the complicated geometry of the area, the angle of inclination required a transition between the two slopes from 60 degrees to 45 degrees.
The Solution
The Canadian market for MSE technology is very competitive, yet there often is not a single-source solution for a contractor needing multiple facing elements. Terrafix Geosynthetics Inc. was able to provide the contractor with the range of reinforcement products that was required on the project by using Strata Systems as its single-source supplier. StrataGrid and StrataWeb were both utilized. The design flexibility of Strata's reinforced slope system enabled the project designers to seamlessly vary the batter of each slope and integrate the different facing elements. StrataGrid 200, 350 and 500 were used, as well as approximately 50,000 sq ft of StrataWeb 356 8-in. geocell fascia wall panels. Using StrataGrid as the primary reinforcement for both the StrataWeb-faced slope and the wrapped-faced slope, allowed for onsite soils to be utilized. The Strata Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil System (GRSS) added stabilization as well as cost savings to the project. With Strata as the sole source for the project's soil reinforcement needs, the fully stabilized roadway was installed within the project's allotted budget and time constraints.
The Result
The use of both StrataGrid and StrataWeb proved vital to the successful installation of both MSE slopes. The Strata GRSS allowed for the multiple facing elements required to be easily integrated, making a complicated grade change project easier to manage. Within the crowded market for MSE technology in Canada, Strata stood out for its single-source, turnkey solution. The concerns facing a project with complex grade changes and varied facing elements were alleviated by Strata's partnership on the project.
