A retaining wall system from Adbri Masonry was specified for the rebuild project involving the rain-damaged Wilson’s Creek Road in rural Northern New South. The damage had reduced the road to a single lane for both directions, leading to the cessation of school bus and refuse collection services as the road could no longer support these vehicles.

Adbri Masonry’s Landmark walling system was selected for the major reconstruction of the road and the installation of link wall units was awarded to Adbri Masonry’s Contracting Services Division.

The deep slip beneath the road embankment was stabilised using 330 vertical and raked micropiles installed to a depth of twelve metres in an A Frame arrangement with a reinforced concrete capping beam connecting the pile heads. The capping beam provided the foundation for the retaining wall to support the road reconstruction.

A proven solution for large scale commercial and industrial retaining wall projects, the Landmark walling system can be built to great heights with reinforcement. A lockbar unit provides a positive connection between the geogrid reinforcement and the landmark units.

Adbri Masonry faced several challenges during the execution of the project with Byron Shire Council requiring a system and installation process that could work within the tightly restricted space. Since there was no space on site to store materials, Adbri Masonry had to employ a just-in-time delivery approach, adding to pressure on both builders and suppliers.

One particular challenge involved a 370m² wall that needed to be retained but had very restricted access. A one-metre wide dirt road ran in front of the wall to only 85 per cent of the wall’s length with the wall sloping down ten metres to the creek below. The winding road did not leave any room to turn around making access for B-double trucks and tippers carrying product very difficult. The closest main road was 10 kilometres from this remote site with the nearest production facility capable of producing the required Landmark blocks 650 kilometres away, presenting a logistical challenge.

Mark Wilson, Adbri Masonry’s Contracting Services Manager explained that they decided to run B-double trucks from the production facility to a site outside the nearest town, and use a truck to deliver on trailer to site. The commitment of Adbri Masonry’s factory to produce the product and the reliability of their drivers ensured the units were delivered to site on time, helping the installation team complete the works promptly and professionally.