How The Dwyer Company Restored a Failing Municipal Retaining Wall
- Project Type: Commercial
- Project Services: Earth Retention, Rock Anchors/Soil Nails, Shotcrete
Quick Facts
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Project Type: Repair
- Soil Nail Installation: 47 Soil Nails
- Rock Socket Depth: Each soil nail required a 12 minimum rock socket
- Design Capacity: Support 28 kips in Tension
- Quality Assurance: 2 proof tests
- Partners: Prus Construction
The Challenge
The Solution: Accelerated Rockfall Mitigation & Slope Stabilization
The Dwyer Company designed and installed a soil nail and reinforced shotcrete facade that stabilized the deteriorating rock face and prevented further wall rotation. The solution required detailed pre-installation planning, precise survey of the 12′ minimum rock sockets, and careful scaling of loose debris to ensure worker safety and bond integrity.
The installation process involved establishing stable tiered work platforms, executing percussive drilling operations to engineering specifications (28-kip capacity), and implementing systematic proof testing to verify the pull-out resistance of the grout-to-ground bond.
The entire installation was completed in just 15 business days, allowing the project to maintain its aggressive construction timeline, providing the municipality with a permanently reinforced roadway corridor and eliminating the risk of catastrophic rockfall or global slope failure.
Key Project Details
individual soil nails designed to resist 28 kips of tension each.
minimum rock socket depth to ensure anchor point into competent strata.
Top-down construction sequence to maintain slope stability during excavation.
in under accelerated mobilization allowed for vegetation clearing and platform prep
Successful execution of proof tests exceeding 150% of the design load.
Seamless integration of new soil nails with a reinforced shotcrete facing for a dual-action support system.
The Dwyer Company's Approach
Our approach to municipal infrastructure combines deep-seated geotechnical expertise with the agility required to handle emergency stabilization without halting primary construction progress.
- Immediate Hazard Neutralization: Rapid scaling and netting secured the site for following trades.
- Verified Structural Integrity: On-site tension testing provided empirical data that the wall met all safety factors.
- Seamless Partner Coordination: Integrated workflows with Prus Construction prevented logistical bottlenecks.
- Geotechnical Precision: Expert drilling through unpredictable Ohio shale and limestone ensured 100% of nails hit target depth.
- Long-Term Durability: The shotcrete and nail combination offers a decades-long service life with minimal maintenance.
The Impact
The solution restored safety and project continuity by providing structural redundancy, protecting the public, and preserving the project schedule.
Economic Efficiency
A cost-effective solution that utilized soil nailing to avoid the massive mobilization and expense of a full wall replacement.
Schedule Security
Completed without delays that would have cascaded through subsequent paving and utility construction phases.
Critical Achievement
Most importantly, the stabilization secured a vital transportation artery for Cincinnati residents, turning a potential disaster into a reinforced asset.
Why Choose The Dwyer Company for structural integrity?
Deep History • Solid Choice
The Dwyer Company’s proven track record in commercial and industrial foundation systems made us the trusted partner for this critical infrastructure project. Our team’s technical expertise, advanced equipment, and commitment to precision execution delivered a foundation system that will support decades of heavy industrial use.