Overview
In August of 2020, after 10 inches of rainfall in two days, the owners of the Leafspring School saw that 150 feet of the retaining wall supporting the school’s play area had failed. They tasked Timmons Group Structural engineers with investigating the cause of the failure and providing repair options. After conducting an onsite evaluation, the structural team confirmed that adjacent structures were stable, established conservative limits for public access near the walls, and identified the initial construction issues which led to the wall failure.
Following Timmons Group’s initial report, the structural team provided construction drawings for repairing the wall and strengthening portions of the wall which had not yet failed. These plans included directions for protecting an adjacent stormwater drain outlet during construction. Construction began in October of 2020 and finished in March of 2021. During this time, the structural team provided construction inspection services during site visits twice a week and worked closely with the contractor to answer questions and address unforeseen conditions during construction.
