Harstad, Norway

13.2m high MSE retaining wall

Design of a 13.2m high MSE retaining wall for the site access road. My input allowed the structure to be value engineered, halving the excavation width by using a trapezoidal profile. I developed a custom connection detail to allow the standard blocks to be used, as obtaining geogrid-compatible blocks would have delayed the schedule by several weeks.

Due to the bearing pressures involved the excavation was surveyed and then used in the design to create a base alignment that followed the bedrock.

Very coarse stone fill was used throughout because in the cold Norwegian climate the risk of frost heave is severe. Frost depth is about 1.2m compared to the UK’s 0.45m.

View from the Vågsfjorden