MSE Walls in Distress: Repair Them or Rebuild Them?

MSE walls are widely used in site development, primarily due to their low cost when compared with conventional retaining structures; however, the costs to repair or reconstruct a poorly performing wall likely outweigh these initial savings. This paper includes a summary of three MSE walls that have experienced either a complete failure (collapse) or have undergone significant movement, adversely affecting wall performance. In each case history, the likely cause of failure and the solution for rehabilitation of the structures are presented, along with the approximate cost of repair. Several projects in which other methods of stabilization were used are also presented in limited detail. Methods of repair or stabilization are compared with regard to constructibility, cost, and their applicability to various failure mechanisms and site constraints