In Florida, Tensar completed the installation of two retaining walls for a luxury timeshare villa, totalling approximately 15,000 square feet of installed block.

1. CASESTUDY
RESIDENTIAL APPLICATION M30
WESTGATE VILLAS
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Application: Installation of two retaining walls for
a luxury timeshare villa, totalling approximately
15,000 square feet of installed block. These walls
were notably large with approximate heights of 25
feet, with 15 feet exposed above the water line.
The Challenge: The pioneering development
company was Central Florida Investments,
expanding the 1,200-unit property with 2,800
additional units at the Westgate Vacation Villas,
the largest timeshare community in the world.
However, the site was also home to storm water
runoff and significant deposits of swamp-like muck.
Site Conditions: “Both the county and the State
Water Management District required a storm water
management system,” commented Mark
Vincutonis, P.E., Project Engineer with Hanson
Walter and Associates, “and since the property
was landlocked, the runoff had to be contained on
site. We first looked at 4:1 grass slopes, but that
would have resulted in 40-foot banks, an
inefficient use of the property.” Indeed, high on
the list was the need to maximize land use. In
particular, CFI/Westgate Resorts wanted the
Westgate Vacation Villas facility positioned as
close to a body of water as possible.
Alternative Solutions: Philip Brown, Senior
Project Manager for Development at CFI said, “We
explored a number of options to contain retention
ponds, including structural walls, and came to the
conclusion that a segmental retaining wall would
provide the best solution.”
The Solution: Following Tensar’s successful bid,
company engineers designed a wall for each of
the first two phases of the Westgate Villas
expansion. Installation of the walls supporting
the two new residential buildings and the Town
Center took place on an accelerated schedule
from September to December 2000. “Given the
height of these walls, the installation went veryWestgate Vacation Villas in Orlando, Florida
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
Project:
Westgate Villas
Location:
Orlando, Florida
Installation:
Fall 2000
Product/System:
Mesa Retaining Wall Systems
Quantity:
15,000 square feet of block
Development Company
CFI/Westgate Resorts
Consulting Engineer:
Hanson Walter and Associates
Installation Contractor:
MSE Systems
General Contractor:
Roger B. Kennedy, Inc.

2. CASESTUDY
MESA_CS_WESTGATE_1.07
Tensar International Corporation
5883 Glenridge Drive, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30328
1-800-TENSAR-1
www.tensar-international.com
For more information on the Mesa Systems or other Tensar Systems,
call 800-TENSAR-1, e-mail info@tensarcorp.com or visit www.tensar-international.com.
©2006, Tensar International Corporation, Limited LLC, Inc. Certain products and/or applications described or illustrated herein are protected under one or more
U.S. patents. Other U.S. patents are pending, and certain foreign patents and patent applications may also exist. Trademark rights also apply as indicated herein.
Final determination of the suitability of any information or material for the use contemplated, and its manner of use, is the sole responsibility of the user.
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Authorized Representative:
RESIDENTIAL APPLICATION
Westgate Villa under construction
smoothly,” commented Joe Rodriguez, President
of MSE Systems, the installer for the project.
“These are critical retaining walls supporting
major structures and both the Mesa Retaining
Wall Systems’ geogrid reinforcement and
structural connection proved to be very important
to this application.” Rodriguez added that Tensar
provided superior shop drawings and that the
company’s engineers were extremely responsive
to construction inquiries.
The Mesa Systems Advantage: Combining the
economy and versatility of segmental concrete
units with proven geogrid technology, Mesa
Retaining Wall Systems offer superior, attractive
and cost-effective solutions for all your retaining
wall needs. The only single-source, fully integrated
SRW system, the Mesa Systems are designed and
detailed to provide optimum efficiency, integrity
and long-term performance. Their positive
mechanical connection assures full load transfer
from the wall face to reinforcement for unsurpassed
structural reliability. In addition, the Mesa Systems
are easy to handle, install and maintain.
Additional Information and Services: Tensar
International Corporation, a worldwide leader in
geosynthetic reinforcement, offers a number of
integrated retaining wall and reinforced slope
systems. Our products and technologies, backed
by the most thorough quality assurance practices,
are at the forefront of the industry. Highly
adaptable, cost-effective and installation friendly,
they provide exceptional, long-term performance
under the most demanding conditions. Our
support services include site evaluation, design
consulting and site construction assistance.
For innovative solutions to your engineering
challenges, rely on the experience, resources and
expertise that have set the industry standard for
more than two decades.