VSOL®

Installation can take place in all types of settings including urban, marine, mountainous and flood-prone sites. No environmental condition is too extreme. Frigid earthquake-prone regions of the Andes Mountains, scorching hot deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, and monsoon-ridden areas of Southeast Asia can all be accommodated, thanks to the versatility of the VSoL® wall system.

The flexibility of the VSoL® wall system allows it to be used in countless types of structures; whether they be general retaining walls for grade separation, highway bridge abutments, bridge access ramps, or mining structures.

Simple and rapid installation carried out using conventional equipment makes this solution very cost-effective. Typically, savings range between 20% and 50% depending on the wall heights, site conditions and local prices.

VSoL® walls are often built as alternatives to gravity, cantilever, gabion and bored pile retaining walls or road embankment structures. Thanks to its outstanding design, flexibility, and structural performance, the VSoL® system helps avoid the need for expensive piled foundations.

It is common for VSoL® walls to reach as high as 15m and, remarkably, can be even taller. Straight, curved, tiered, superimposed or back-to-back walls can all be accommodated for, depending on the site conditions.

Different types of facings are available to fit the style of each project:

• Concrete facing panels with a wide range of textures, colours and shapes: square, rectangular, T-shaped, cruciform, and hexagonal.
• Steel mesh facings, which can be filled with rock for a natural stone finish, or fitted with a special surface mat that provides both soil containment and favorable conditions for vegetation to grow and cover the entire surface of the wall. Modular blocks can also be used.

Both steel ladders and polymeric strips are available for use as reinforcement.

• The VSoL® steel ladder reinforcement system creates the greatest soil-to-reinforcement shear and bearing interaction and pull-out resistance of any reinforced retaining wall system. The connection between the ladder and the VSoL® clevis (anchor bracket embedded in the precast facing panel) is simple and effective, facilitating rapid, low-cost installation.
• The VSoL® polymeric strip reinforcement system consists of high-tenacity polyester yarns encased in a polyethylene sheath, which acts as a chemical/biological barrier against even the most aggressive fills and provides the soil-to-reinforcement shear interaction. The polymeric strips do not necessarily require any additional steel anchors for the connection to the concrete panels, thanks to the VSoL® void-formed connections which allow smooth threading and tensioning.

As long as they fulfil the minimal requirements of grading and chemical properties, several types of reinforced fills can be accommodated, including marginal fills and recycled concrete coming from old structures. The VSoL® wall design is adjusted according to the reinforced fill properties.

VSoL® walls are not limited when it comes to the loads applied onto the soil block. The wall design can be adapted to resist heavy loads imposed by specific installed equipment or movement across the top surface, such as heavy-duty trucks or cranes.

The simplicity and performance of the pinned/threaded anchor connection with the concrete panels is a key feature that sets the VSoL® steel system apart from others, enabling fast and efficient wall erection on site.

The performance of the pinned/threaded connection can be easily and quickly verified.