Gabion retaining wall systems for hotel and car park

Context

The new 128 bed Hampton by Hilton Hotel, located near the centre of Stockton-on-Tees, includes hotel customer parking and parking for the local council. Several retaining walls were required for the boundaries and terraces providing access to car parks.

Challenges

Limited space behind the gabion wall along the boundary with no scope to dig beyond.

The basement wall opposite the gabion wall was not designed as a retaining wall which meant the forces from the wall’s backfill would cause the basement wall to fail. Phi Group liaised with B&K and determined a cost effective solution to this problem.

The client requested free-standing gabion baskets in front of the hotel for aesthetics instead of the usual technical use. Despite the fact this isn’t a typical wall, it still required to be designed to ensure they were sturdy.

Solutions

Phi Group reviewed the design for the boundary gabion wall. The temporary excavation angle was increased to reduce the extent of the temporary works and excavation required.

Phi Group offered a hybrid of two of its systems – gabion baskets with geogrid reinforcement, which acted as a thrust relief wall to ensure the basement wall was not loaded. It was also the most economical solution and could be procured in good time to maintain programme.

When looking at the free-standing gabion baskets, it was decided that they would still need a concrete foundation and the taller baskets would need steel support columns within the baskets to connect to the foundation and maintain rigidity.

Gabion systems used

• Two traditional gabion retaining walls; one retaining the western boundary and one retaining the terrace around the hotel, providing access to the lower level/carpark.
• Gabion faced reinforced soil thrust relief wall.
• Gabion Cladding to a reinforced concrete wall which butts gabion wall along the boundary.
• 22 free-standing architectural gabion walls, ranging from 0.5-1.2m high to 0.5-2.5m long and all 0.5m wide.