TSA was retained to investigate concrete slab distress and retaining wall distress at a home improvement center. The retaining wall consisted of a segmental retaining wall that was constructed too close to an adjacent property, which caused the soil reinforcement to be too shallow. The retaining wall reportedly collapsed twice, once during construction and once after construction was complete. The situation was aggravated by a large amount of surface runoff from the adjacent property.
Concrete slab distress consisted of cracking and settlement of the concrete flatwork inside and outside of the property. The primary cause was determined to be related to improperly compacted utility trenches.
