MUNICIPAL FOCUS | NELSON MANDELA BAY
The new and definitive
Terraforce Design Guide
The beautifully curved Terraforce block wall at the Salamanca Hospital development in Spain
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plit into two sections, the Terraforce Design Guide deals with the theory and practice of gravity retaining wall design – with worked examples – as well as the design and installation of Terraforce reinforced soil retaining walls in accordance with BS 8006 and SANS 207:2011. All the procedural and sequential steps that need to be followed are covered to construct safe and sound SRW structures. “Minimum requirements in the standards (SANS 207 and BS 8006) are sometimes questioned by engineers, such as the seemingly excessive minimum width of the reinforced soil structure. The reason for this is explained in depth, with guidance further provided for specifying shear resisting mechanisms,” says industry pioneer Holger Rust, founder of Terraforce, adding that another important topic covered includes the SANS 10400 National Building Regulations regarding balustrading above walls that exceed 1 m in height.
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IMIESA May 2022
“As with any structure, the design of Terraforce retaining walls should only be undertaken by suitably qualified and experienced designers with due cognisance being taken of the specific geotechnical conditions and vital soil parameters pertaining to the site,” Rust explains. The Terraforce Design Guide also has builtin links to useful tools to assist in design, construction and supervision routines. Cautionary notes and notes for contractors are included, as well as a Table Creator to obtain design values for Terraforce’s range of precast concrete retaining wall blocks and allied products, and to help in estimating material costs. “There will be a link to the Maxiwall Pro software for the design of composite retaining walls, as well as a link to Terrasafe, our in-house design ser vice,” says Rust, adding that users can access the Design Guide by registering online at www.terraforce.com.
Partially based on the company’s original 1992 design manual, Terraforce’s new extended version involved the participation of professionals in three countries and takes note of their unique challenges and experiences in the design of segmental retaining walls (SRWs) in accordance with local and international standards.
Maxiwall Pro Terraforce launched Maxiwall Pro in August 2018 as a privately labelled version of the most comprehensive and widely used SRW design software in the industry, the Vespa MSE Design Suite (updated to the latest standards in 2020). Maxiwall Pro allows SRW design professionals to easily produce complete wall designs utilising the award-winning Terraforce line of SRW products. With all block and geogrid information preloaded, designers can select from a wide range of proven Terraforce systems via easy-to-navigate drop-down menus. Compared to other mechanically stabilised design software options, Maxiwall Pro increases design efficiency, improves accuracy and promotes a seamless flow of information between design stages and parties. It generates full wall layouts with accurate quantity estimates and comprehensive reports. The Calculation Engine can simultaneously run static, seismic and ICS analysis in accordance with NCMA,
