Thanks to 55,500 square feet of Mesa product, a nine-man installation crew, and meticulous attention to challenging soil conditions, a project in Oregon was completed in a rigorous 4 month period.

1. Spring 2002
The Mesa Connection™
Klamath Falls Amphitheater — Another Star is Born
Terraced Mesa® Walls Support Spectacular Outdoor Venue
Klamath Falls is getting ready to rock.
The Oregon town (pop. 21,000), located in the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains near the California border, is counting down to
the opening of the privately developed Klamath Falls Amphitheater, centerpiece of a new mixed-use development. And the venue is as
dazzling as the stars who will perform there.
Built into the hillside, and with views of snow-capped Mt. Shasta some 70 miles away, the amphitheater features a design of terraced
segmental retaining walls (SRWs), some exceeding 40 feet, constructed by the Mesa Retaining Wall Systems. The project required more
than 55,500 square feet of Mesa product, a nine-man installation crew, a rigorous, four-month production schedule, and meticulous
attention to challenging soil conditions.
Developer Launches Search for MSE Solution
The project was initiated early last year when developer Greg Bessert of KCS Holdings contacted Klamath Falls-based Zbinden-Carter
Engineering. “We were asked to explore mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) systems for the amphitheater’s walls and actually developed
a working design based on another product,” commented Eric Souders, Project Manager. When that system proved to be cost-prohibitive,
the engineers contacted Key West Retaining Systems to source an alternative.
Key West, the first company to install Mesa Systems in the region, knew what to do. “We contacted Mutual Materials to price out a Mesa
Wall,” said Tim Mann, Key West Sales Manager. Mutual Materials, the Oregon-Washington Mesa Licensee since 1997, took a number of
innovative steps to cut costs; among them, they specified natural color, standard straight-face block below grade (above grade block is
standard, radius face and khaki in color). An estimate was developed with additional help from Bob Barry, Tensar Earth Technologies’ SRW
Manager/Western Region, and Scott Ward of SRW Engineering, the design engineering firm contracted by Zbinden-Carter. The bid was
approved (just as you might expect in the Pacific Northwest) over coffee.

2. Native Soils a Dramatic Challenge
Zbinden-Carter, SRW Engineering, and Key West faced a particularly tough design and
installation challenge - sandy silt over diatomaceous soil, a powdery and highly sensitive
limestone-like material left behind from a prehistoric lake. “Under a strict Quality Assurance
program, we continuously tested conditions and were able to use native soils for
reinforcement and retained backfill,” added Zbinden-Carter’s Russ Carter, P.E. Gravel fill
was imported for the walls’ foundations.
But the challenge didn’t end there. “We were on a high production, high installation
schedule,” commented Key West President Marv Wyatt. “We were averaging 700 square feet
of installation per day. On some days we installed as much as 2,000 square feet. We dealt with
tight, four-foot radius turns. And with so many terraces, we had to hand-set 5,000 blocks on
the gravel leveling pads.” Despite those challenges, the company completed the walls within
.05-inch of elevation. Both Wyatt and developer Bessert added that Mutual Materials’
Bridgeport (WA) plant, which manufactured the Mesa block, did an “excellent” job meeting
production schedules, including the coordination of time-critical deliveries.
Performance Gets ##### Reviews
“With the soil values, wall loads, and wall heights involved, the Mesa Systems were pushed to the limits,” said Key West’s Mann. “This was
our firm’s first experience with Mesa, and it’s a great product,” commented Russ Carter from Zbinden-Carter. And KCS’s Greg Bessert added
that the Mesa Systems’ mechanical connection provided a “tighter installation... with more assurances for long-term integrity.”
All five-star reviews for the Mesa Systems — before the real crowds start rocking at this spectacular performance venue.