Nicet Highwa y Construction Le vel 3
1.What is Mec hanically Stabiliz ed Earth (MSE)? A Mechanically Stabi-
lized Earth (MSE) retain-
ing wall is a compos-
ite structure consisting of alternating layers of compacted bac kfill and soil reinforcement ele-
ments, fixed to a wall fac-
ing
2.What is A Mec hanically Stabiliz ed Earth (MSE) derived fr om?The stability of the w all system is der ived from the interaction betw een the backfill and soil re-
inforcements , involving friction and tension. The wall facing is relativ e-
ly thin, with the pr ima-
ry function of pre venting erosion of the str uctur-
al backfill. The result is a coherent g ravity struc-
ture that is fle xible and can carry a variety of heavy loads.
3.What are Common Causes f or MSE Wall Fail-
ures?Mechanically Stabiliz ed Earth (MSE) w alls are routinely con-
structed without ade-
quate drainage or com-
paction, using wide-
ly spaced reinf orcement and low-quality, on-site clay soils. These laps-
es can cause significant movement or collapse of a section, hinder ing a wall's performance. Nicet Highwa y Construction Le vel 3
4.What are the benefits of repairing an MSE Wall In-Place?Repair and rehabilitation of an MSE w all is of-
ten 30% of the total replacement cost, and our crews can complete the work around existing structures.
5.What is used f or Temporary Soil Stabilization? Temporary cover (mulch, plastic, rolled erosion control product, or tac k-
ifier) and / or Tempo-
rary turf estab lishment (Apply seed and m ulch for soil erosion protec-
tion and protect it un-
til permanent turf is in place)
6.What are the P ermanent Soil Stabilization ele-
ments on permanent slopes?(a) Turf establishment. Apply seed, f ertilizer, and mulch. (b) Plants , trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, and other plants. Furnish and plant trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, and other plants. (c) Sod. Furnish and place sod of peren-
nial turf-forming grasses. (d) Rock mulch. Furnish and place roc k on fin-
ished surf aces.
7.What is "Mass concrete" ? Mass concrete is "an y volume of concrete with dimensions large enough to require that measures be tak en to Nicet Highwa y Construction Le vel 3
cope with gener ation of heat from h ydration of the cement and atten-
dant volume change to minimize cracking".
8.What are some of the other names " Drilled Shafts" are called?Drilled piers , caissons , cast-in-dr illed-hole piles (CIDH - Caltr ans termi-
nology), and bored piles (Europe)
9.What is a Caisson? A boxlike structure used in construction work un-
derwater or as a founda-
tion. It is usually rectan-
gular or circular in plan and may be tens of me-
tres in diameter .
10.What are the diff erent types of concrete bridg e decks?1. Straight bridges 2. Bridges with cur ved geometry 3. Arch bridges 4. Suspension bridges
11.What are "Arch" bridges? The arch has a load-bear ing function f or the piles and the road-
way above, discharging all the forces on the foundations through the arch. This type is cho-
sen to span long dis-
tances when suppor t on the ground is not possi-
ble.
12.What is a " suspension" bridge? They allow the span-
ning of very large dis- Nicet Highwa y Construction Le vel 3
tances and f eature piles that transmit the loads to the foundation suppor t-
ing the dec k by means of traction elements (tie rods or steel cab les).
13.What is a Gabion basket? Gabion bask ets are typically rectangular wire mesh bask ets (made with galv anized wire) filled with small rock of appro ximately 100-250mm in diameter . The gabion bask ets are often placed on top of one another in the f orm of a vertical or terr aced retaining w all against a riverbank to pre vent fur-
ther erosion of the bank.
14.What is the " clear zone" ? The portion of the road-
side, including the shoul-
der, available for the safe use by an errant vehicle in which the dr iver may regain control of the v e-
hicle.
15.What is a " Culvert"? A structure, not classi-
fied as a bridge, that pro-
vides an opening under the roadw ay.
16.What is "Density"? Mass per unit v olume of material. Specific g ravity multiplied b y the density of water
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