QPL Acceptance Criteria | Jan 2009
Acceptance Criteria |

# Chapter 3 Proprietary Retaining Wall Systems

## 3.1 General

A. These acceptance criteria cover two different types of QPL approvals:

1.) Permanent proprietary retaining wall systems used as structural retaining walls.

2.) Temporary proprietary retaining wall systems used as structural retaining walls.

B. These criteria do not apply to modular block walls.

## 3.2 Definitions

A. Bin Wall – a retaining wall designed for use at acute corners less than 70 degrees for Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls.

B. Leveling Course (Pad) – a non-reinforced concrete pad used to provide a level and consistent surface at the proper grade to place the wall panels.

C. Soil Reinforcement – component that holds the wall facing panels in position and provides reinforcement for the soil. Soil reinforcement can be strips, grids, or mesh and made of either steel or polymers.

D. Structural Retaining Wall – retaining walls greater than five feet high or any wall that supports highway loads, regardless of height.

E. Wall Facing – component used to hold the soil in position at the face of the wall. Materials for wall facing panels are reinforced concrete for permanent wall systems and wire mesh for temporary wall systems.

F. Wall/Reinforcement Connection – area where the connection is made between the wall facing panel and the soil reinforcing.

G. Wall System – All components of a retaining wall system.

H. For additional definitions, see Section 1 of the FDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction):

## 3.3 Referenced Standards

A. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) "LRFD Bridge Design Specifications", Current Edition.

B. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction.

C. Florida Department of Transportation Structures Design Guidelines (SDG), Current Edition.

D. Florida Department of Transportation “Design Standards”, Current Edition

## 3.4 Design

A. Design wall systems in accordance with the latest edition of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and FDOT Structures Design Guidelines.

B. All Design Calculations and Design Details must be signed and sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in the State of Florida.

## 3.5 Approval Process

The Department and/or Department Consultants will review wall system designs. Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center (HITEC) evaluation is desirable. Make all submittals to the FDOT Product Evaluation Administrator.

### 3.5.1 Tentative Approval

A. Tentative Approval will be granted only if the wall system design and submittal procedure conform to these acceptance criteria.

B. Due to the nature of QPL submittals and the variety of retaining wall systems, additional information not specifically outlined in these criteria as well as a formal presentation to Department personnel may also be required to gain tentative approval.

C. The company will be notified in writing of the Department’s decision to either reject, request additional information, or grant tentative approval.

### 3.5.2 Final Approval

A. After granting tentative approval, the Department will select a course of action for the final approval process. Final approval for wall systems with an established history in Florida will be granted based heavily on past performance.

B. For wall systems new to Florida, the Department may elect the following course of action:

1.) The State Structures Design Office will select a suitable project for evaluation of the wall system and notify the company. The wall system is considered an experimental feature and will not be subject to competitive bidding.

2.) The Department will provide the company with control plans prepared either in-house or by the Consultant Engineer of Record.

3.) In compliance with the scheduling requirements of the project, the company will submit complete design plans to the Structures Design Office.

4.) In order to evaluate the performance and constructability of the wall system, a field and/or laboratory instrumentation-monitoring program, developed by the State Geotechnical Engineer’s Office, may be required. These monitoring programs will be part of the contract bid package. The nature and extent of the monitoring program will likely differ significantly for various wall systems. Either Department personnel or a designee of the Department will monitor the wall system’s performance and constructability, at the Department’s discretion.

5.) After the project and monitoring programs are completed, the State Structures Design Office in conjunction with the State Geotechnical Engineer’s Office will provide a written report summarizing the monitoring program results. This report will include recommendations for acceptance, rejection, or the need for an additional experimental project. The company will be notified in writing of the Department’s decision regarding approval for the wall system.

6.) The course of action outlined above is only one alternative for granting final approval for a wall system. The Department may elect another course of action it deems appropriate to grant final approval. Final approval will be granted only if the Department determines the design and performance of the wall system to be satisfactory.

C. The company will be notified in writing of the Department’s decision to either reject or grant final approval for the wall system. This notification will contain any limitations and/or restrictions (i.e., environmental classifications where the wall system may be used) for using the wall system deemed necessary by the Department.

D. Detailed structural drawings and Field Construction Manual (Item 3.4.1K) will be posted on the Department’s QPL website after final approval is granted.

## 3.6 Submittals

A. Submit a completed Product Evaluation Application

B. Submit the following documentation (in 8.5” x 11” format unless stated otherwise) and in the order listed:

1.) Trade Name of Product.

2.) Company’s name, address, telephone number and plant locations.

3.) Product Characteristics

4.) Wall System theory and derivation. Include laboratory and field experimentation that support wall system theory.

5.) Practical applications with descriptions and photographs.

6.) Limitations and disadvantages of the system including:

a.) Estimated design life.

b.) Durability and/or corrosion data for the proposed soil reinforcement system.

c.) Differential settlement the wall system can tolerate without exceeding normal stress range of the soil reinforcement and wall facing, or the construction tolerances in FDOT Standard Specifications Section 548.

d.) The effects of scour and water flow.

e.) Applicable environmental classifications as outlined in the SDG Section 1.3.

C. Submit signed and sealed design calculations.

1.) Include internal stability calculations for soil reinforcement length vs. wall height in 2 ft. increments from 10 ft. up to a height of 40 ft.

2.) Provide two sets of calculations; one for sand backfill and one for limerock backfill. See SDG Section 3.13.2.

3.) Design calculations may be either by hand or by a wall company program with hand calculations verifying the program output. It is only necessary to include sample hand calculations for a 20 ft. height for each soil condition.

D. If a proprietary wall system design program is used, provide the program with instructions at no cost to the Department for use in reviewing the design.

E. Corrosion/durability design procedures for soil reinforcement elements.

F. Submit signed and sealed design details in 11” x 17” MicroStation (preferred), AutoCAD or PDF format Structural drawings. Show all details specific to the wall system. These details supplement the retaining wall system Design Standards. Include to the following:

1.) Notes specific to the wall system.

2.) Panel sizes and reinforcing.

3.) Soil reinforcement connection to wall facings.

4.) Wall panel abutment interfacing.

5.) Slip joints.

6.) Steps in leveling pad.

7.) Soil reinforcing details around vertical obstructions (e.g. piling, inlets, etc).

8.) Filter fabric placement at panel joints and around obstructions (e.g. inlets, utilities, piling, etc.).

9.) Details for skewing soil reinforcement (15 degrees maximum) without cutting when grid reinforcement is used.

10.) Corner panels (required at all corners 70 degrees or greater).

11.) Bin wall details for acute corners (required at all corners less than 70 degrees).

12.) Details showing how to accommodate long term (post construction) wall settlement in excess of 4 inches without attaching soil reinforcement to the abutment (i.e. special wall design referred to in the SDG), thereby isolating the loads in the wall.

13.) If the proposed system is subject to corrosion due to stray electrical currents, details of how to ground the wall system.

G. Any common procedures for field and laboratory evaluation to be included in the project bid documents, including instrumentation and special requirements.

H. Pull-out test data for the proposed wall/reinforcement connection, and size and type of soil reinforcement for wall system. Testing must be submitted for all sizes and/or soil reinforcement to be utilized on Department projects. Default AASHTO values may be used for conventional soil reinforcement. For soil reinforcement grids, this includes all various configurations and combinations of longitudinal and transverse wires. Testing shall be done by an independent soil testing laboratory or testing agency certified by the Department.

I. Detailed material specifications showing material type, quality, certifications, field-testing, acceptance and rejection criteria and placement procedures.

J. Other information pertinent to the design and performance of the wall system as necessary.

K. A well-documented field construction manual describing in detail, with illustrations, construction requirements and the step-by-step construction sequence for the wall system. Submit manual in 8.5” x 11” format in either pdf (preferred) or MS Word format.

L. General maintenance requirements for the wall system.

M. Listing of locations where the wall system is installed (locations within or close to Florida). Include the owner’s name, address and telephone number.

N. Typical unit costs (i.e. per square foot of wall surface fabricated, transported, and installed) supported by data from projects no more than five years old.