Reinforced Soil Walls and Slope Reinforcement
2020
URBIZTONDO, SAN JUAN, LA UNION - REGION I - Philippines
Kahuna Beach Resort & Spa, Inc.
KAHUNA BEACH RESORT & SPA
Problem
Kahuna Beach Resort and Spa is a private-owned beach resort located in Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union. The town of San Juan is known as the surfing capital of the north or the Luzon Island in the Philippines, therefore during rainy season, erosion and scouring of beachfront frequently happen and could result to damage of property. This concerned the resort owner and immediately considered a coastal protection system for the resort. During the planning stages of the beach resort, the owner wanted to have a retaining structure to protect the elevated finished ground of the resort that is directly facing the beach area, just about 20 meters away from the sea.
Solution
The solution proposed by Maccaferri engineers was a reinforced soil retaining structure known as MacWall. It uses MacGrid woven polyester geogrids as soil reinforcements and features concrete block units (Anchor Diamond Pro patented blocks) for the fascia. An aggregate drainage layer and drain tile were included in the overall design to control surface run-off and reduce possible effect of buildup of excess pore water pressure inside the wall. The ease of construction, structural integrity, erosion protection, and economy were all delivered by the MacWall system, thus the Client was very satisfied after completion of the project.