Modular Precast Wall Systems

Prefabricated wall panels can be assembled and connected on-site to create modular precast wall systems. The two common forms of this modular bridge technology include mechanically stabilized earth systems and modular block systems.

For mechanically stabilized earth systems, thin wall panels are placed and anchored to the soil behind them. The devices used to anchor the wall panels engage the soil mass behind the wall panels to create a soil mass gravity wall. The process of setting up this type of wall abutment can progress rapidly because the system is built while the soil is still being filled in behind the wall.

Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wing Wall

For the modular block system, modular reinforced concrete modules are interconnected to build a soil gravity wall.

Mechanically stabilized earth systems are anchored to the soil to help support the soil and support the bridge superstructure. Similarly, modular block systems are gravity walls placed against the soil to meet the same objectives.

Modular block systems interlock with each other as they are constructed into a wall. The mechanically-stabilized earth system panels, are anchored along the soil adjacently to create the full wall.

These wall systems provide an efficient construction process. Either, the wall and its anchorages are placed while the backfill is placed, or the wall is built using reinforced concrete modules while backfill is placed. This system can be constructed faster than geosynthetically confined soil wall abutments. Mechanically stabilized earth walls do have the downside of a failure rate of approximately 2-10%.