When an existing highway ramp in Puerto Rico had to be relocated, two Tensar products were used to create an embankment to support the highway ramp. Learn more:

1. In order to guarantee
the overall stability of the
embankment against any
failure and to minimize
differential settlement, the
geotechnical consultant
recommended the installa-
tion of Vibro-concrete
columns (VCC). The
project required over 1,000
preaugered grout columns
18 inches in (nominal)
diameter with an average
depth of 40 feet. Above the
t
© 2000, Tensar Earth Technologies, Inc. TENSAR, SIERRA, SPECTRA, MESA, PRISM, and DIMENSION are trademarks.
Certain foreign trademark rights also exist. The products and/or applications illustrated herein are covered by one or more
of the following U.S. patents: 5156495, 5419659, 4590029, 4743486, 5595460, 5632571. The information contained herin
has been carefully compiled by Tensar Earth Technologies, Inc. and to the best of its knowledge accurately represents Tensar
product use in the applications which are illustrated. 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. Printed in the U.S.A.
Tensar Earth
Technologies, Inc.
5883 Glenridge Drive, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30328
Tel. 800-TENSAR-1 or 404-250-1290
Fax. 404-250-9185
www.tensarcorp.com BRO-GEO10.1
The $1.67 billion Hato Rey contract
for the Tren Urbano, a mass transit
project in San Juan, Puerto Rico,
affects San Juan’s business district.
As part of the reorganization of the
surrounding areas for the metro’s
alignment, the existing ramp connecting
Ponce de Leon Avenue with the PR-1
expressway had to be relocated.
The new location for the ramp
required the construction of an
embankment approximately 22 feet
high. However, the on-site soils
consisted of muck in varying layers
of thickness over a layer of very
stiff clay.
columns, the Dimension®
Foundation
Improvement System was installed to
serve as a load transfer platform. This
application has also been used for
several projects in Brazil, wherein the
load transfer platform is designed to
carry the loads from the embankment
to the VCC foundation.
Additionally, because of the require-
ments established by the owner, the
embankment required the construction
of 25,000 square feet of lateral walls.
Given the limited time available, the
Mesa®
Retaining Wall System proved
to be the fastest, most economical
solution for the job. Because Mesa
Walls were developed to be a fully
integrated segmental retaining wall
system with all the components
working together, wall construction
was simplified. Ultimately, this solution
meant large savings in money and
time.
Tren Urbano Uses Both Mesa®
and Dimension®
Systems
➛ Typical cross-section of a Mesa®
Retaining
Wall on a Dimension®
System load transfer
platform and Vibro-concrete columns.
Tensar
uniaxial
geogrids
Dimension
reinforced
platform
Vibro-concrete
columns
Not to scale
Mesa units