4/2017 – Getting a good grip with CRB walls At Puma
Terraforce walls at PUMA
In 2015, JSE-listed Equities Property, signed a R155-million contract to develop 2.3 ha of its 5.4 ha land in Contermanskloof, Cape Town, to house a new A-Grade distribution centre and head office for apparel brand Puma Sports Distributors. Read more on the CRB Walls integration on this project.
To maximize space for the new buildings and infrastructure, the Terraforce concrete retaining wall block (CRB Walls) system was chosen to retain numerous cut and fill slopes on site needing earth stabilization. Dassenberg Retaining, appointed by Greymo Civils to install the Terraforce walls, started construction the mid-March 2016. Says Géorg Brand: “The modern office building, with underground parking and adjacent large storage warehouse that is connected by a fly-over bridge necessitated several retaining walls.
Terraforce retaining blocks lining a slope bordering a detention pond.
Retaining walls stabilising long cut slopes along the new Puma Headoffices
A design was supplied by Fred Laker, Terrasafe Design Service, and in total, 21 800 Terraforce L11 blocks were delivered to site. The blocks are all filled with concrete for extra reinforcing, except those lining a steep slope along the detention pond that manages the storm water coming off the roof of the warehouse and office building.”
Terraforce walls providing erosion control at Puma warehouse and headquarters
21 800 Terraforce L11 blocks were delivered to site
Brand adds that here the blocks were filled with with 19mm stone for extra traction and to ensure water flow through the pond as the water level rises or drops:
Terraforce walls providing erosion control at Puma warehouse and headquarters
“while the detention pond was constructed, a temporary berm was put in place to allow excavation and the placement of a concrete footing for the wall. At this stage, all material had to be handled by hand to transport it to the top of the 6.75m wall on the office side. Because the almost vertical wall is 6.75m high and braces the loading and parking area of the warehouse, geofabric was placed into the compacted back-fill and locked into every second row of blocks.”
The walls were completed in February this year, with additional, higher, and longer Terraforce walls to be added on adjacent land also owned by Equities Property.
Project Team
Main Contractor: Granbuild
Consulting Engineers: Boland Consulting Engineers, Henry Horn
Civil Engineers: Greymo Civils
Terraforce Design: Terrasafe, Fred Laker
Terraforce installer: Dassenberg Retaining