Terramesh® Reinforced Soil & Gabion Retaining Walls for Housing Development in Scotland

Barratt Homes commenced a residential development in Bonhill, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, where challenging ground conditions posed a significant obstacle. The site featured multiple areas of uneven and sloping terrain, requiring careful ground stabilisation before construction could begin. To enable safe and effective housebuilding, the land needed to be regraded and stabilised, with engineered retaining wall solutions essential to create level platforms. Without proper slope stabilisation and terracing, the long-term stability and safety of the development would have been at risk.

Maccaferri was appointed by Barratt Homes to design and deliver a tailored retaining wall solution to address the complex site conditions. Following a detailed site assessment, a combination of reinforced soil walls and gabion retaining walls was specified to stabilise the الأرض and form a series of terraces suitable for residential construction.

The primary structure consisted of a Terramesh® System reinforced soil wall, extending 250 metres in length and covering a face area of 1,082m². The Terramesh® System is a proven, modular retaining wall solution widely used in civil engineering projects for its durability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. It combines double-twisted wire mesh units with high-performance ParaGrid geogrids, which provide essential soil reinforcement at multiple levels within the structure. These geogrids deliver high tensile strength, enabling the wall to support heavy loads and maintain long-term stability. The units were filled with locally sourced stone, while site-won fill material was used as backfill, enhancing both sustainability and project efficiency.

To complement the main structure, two lower-height gabion retaining walls were constructed, with a combined length of 144 metres and a total volume of 430m³. These mass gravity walls played a key role in completing the terracing system, ensuring effective load distribution and additional slope support across the development.

Maccaferri’s integrated approach provided a fast, efficient, and cost-effective installation process. By offering a range of retaining wall systems rather than a single-product solution, the design was fully optimised to meet the specific geotechnical and structural requirements of the site. The result was a robust and sustainable ground engineering solution that enabled Barratt Homes to successfully deliver their housing development in Bonhill.