The Belle River is a 74 mile-long river located in southeast Michigan. A portion of a roadway located near the river in St. Clair county was experiencing challenges with erosion. The roadway and shoulder were beginning to slide down a steep slope toward the nearby river. The erosion was so severe that a guardrail had began to sink so far into the slope that it no longer served its purpose of supporting traffic along the roadway. This lead to extremely unsafe travel conditions as temporary traffic control items had to be added in order to keep the road open until a solution was found that was not only was cost effective, but created a safer environment for travelers along the road.
SITE CONDITIONS
St. Clair county in Michigan is located in a fairly moderate climate. The area experiences hot summers, cold winters and30"- 40" of snowfall each year. The soil conditions along this roadway consisted of heavy clays with occasional sandy seams.
A PROVEN SOLUTION
EnviroGrid® Geocell was the chosen solution because of its speed of construction and ease of installation and use. After cost comparison estimates, the product was by far the best option for the project. EnviroGrid® was not only cost effective, but a proven solution, as the crew had experienced previous success with EnviroGrid® in other projects.
CONSTRUCTION OVERVIEW
To complete the project, 7-8 crew members worked together in order to streamline the process. An excavator foreman completed the excavation and filled the cells while an excavator operator set and checked the grade along the roadway. Two crew members prepped the area by stretching the cells around the forms. In the trench, three crew members placed the cells, and then compacted and raked the aggregate. Other staff was utilized to transport materials to and from the site as needed.
SUSTAINABLE RESULTS
The finished product was the retaining wall created by stacked panels of geocell, that line the road and will hinder further erosion of the roadway. EnviroGrid® was able to provide stability and support of constant traffic while also staying within the budget. The finished road is now safe for roadway users and will suppress erosion for years to come.
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