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Hilfiker

Why Steel Reinforcements?

Steel reinforcements for MSE walls are either welded wire mats (used by Hilfiker Retaining Walls and T&B Structural Systems) or ribbed strips (used by The Reinforced Earth Company). Steel reinforcements offer the following advantages over other MSE reinforcement systems:

• Inextensible.
  Steel reinforcements undergo very low strains when loaded, so there is negligible structure deformation due to reinforcement elongation.

• High Adherence.
  Steel reinforcements embedded in specified granular backfill do not pull out, assuring internal structural stability.

• Tensile Capacity.
  Steel reinforcements have high strength, which is well suited to MSE structures in a wide range of heights and loadings.

• Long Service Life.
  Steel reinforcements are galvanized with 2 oz of zinc per sq ft of metal surface (ASTM A-123), helping them achieve a long service life. When embedded in backfill conforming to AASHTO requirements for pH, resistivity, chlorides and sulfates, the reinforcements can be designed to meet AASHTO’s permanent MSE wall 75-year service life requirement (100 years for critical structures like bridge abutments).

• Economical.
  Steel reinforcements attached to precast concrete MSE wall panels are straightforward to install using simple connection devices cast into the panels. Only modest construction equipment and a small labor crew are necessary for wall erection. The required granular backfill is easy to place and compact and the more free-draining backfills can be placed almost regardless of weather, enhancing productivity and economy.