A risk and deformation-based design approach for MSE walls on rock fill slopes along the sea to sky highway test section.

The Sea to Sky Highway will be upgraded in preparation for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. An 800 m long test section was constructed to demonstrate that the proposed upgrades to the Sea to Sky Highway were achievable across very difficult terrain while at the same time minimizing impacts to the traveling public. Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls are required along substantial lengths of the highway alignment to support the southbound lanes of the proposed highway widening. This paper describes the design approach adopted for the MSE walls on rock fill slopes along the Sea to Sky Highway Test Section that includes both reliability and deformation (FLAC) analysis. Some construction considerations are also described. For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD number E211521.