Strata News
| New Pre-Engineered, Code Compliant Fence Post Foundation Delivers Results To DHL Security is a top priority in the shipping industry. So when plans for DHL’s new 290,000 square foot distribution facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania called for 3,450 linear feet of retaining wall along the perimeter of this 72 acre site, the chain link fencing above the walls quickly became a topic of concern for the wall contractor and construction manager. “It is rarely understood by the client that fencing cannot be installed on top of perimeter walls without careful design considerations,” states Andre De Carville, Vice President of Pickering Valley Landscape, Inc. “The grading plan noted a fence above every wall but did not provide a structural detail showing how to integrate our work with that of the fence contractor.” Segmental Retaining Walls (SRW) most appealing quality is how the dry stacked block face and geosynthetic reinforcement (Geogrid) combine to form a retention system capable of holding back steep slopes and handle heavy loads. A limitation, however, is that the dry stacked wall face has minimal resistance to overturning in the upper two or three courses when a point load is applied to the block. This is precisely what happens when a load is placed on a fence post in close proximity to the wall face. That, along with tearing through the embedded soil reinforcement behind the wall with an auger, can greatly affect both the integrity of the wall and fence structures. New Pre-Engineered Product Offers A Solution At this point, Strata Systems, the manufacturer of an advanced, pre-engineered product called Sleeve-It™ 1224R was contacted. This fence-ready and code compliant design was created to address the very issues the construction team was concerned about. Strata provided test reports and additional calculations to the project engineer of record explaining how the Sleeve-It approach meets or exceeds the building code requirements for railings along the sides of elevated walking surfaces. A Strata technical representative was also made available for further on-site consultation. With only 10 days from the bid award date to provide a final wall design and 120 days from ground breaking for the new facility to be fully operational there was no time to waste. “We recommended the use of the pre-engineered Sleeve-It system to the construction manager, Opus Corporation, for integrating the chain link fence with the SRWs.” says wall design engineer Bart Shippee PE. “The Sleeve-It product test data translates exceptionally well for a 6’ tall chain link fence with 10’ post spacing addressing the IBC load criteria for railings in commercial applications.” A Simple And Effective Installation Process In all, over 350 Sleeve-It units were installed during wall construction. Sleeve-It 1224R is typically pre-assembled at the material staging area for the wall, then set in place with desired post spacing when the wall has reached approximately 24” from the top of wall. Sleeve-It is stocked by the pallet and sold by the box. “I was not only amazed with how the Sleeve-It product works but that I was able to fit two pallets in the back of my pickup truck rather than pulling a trailer with 12’ sections of ADS pipe tied down”, commented Pickering field supervisor Ron Buchanan. “This was our first project with Sleeve-It and since there was virtually no learning curve required, our wall production rate was not slowed at all.” When the wall construction was completed, the fence installer arrived to complete the perimeter fencing. “We showed up ready to auger holes and much to our surprise the holes were already there,” mentioned Scott Risbon with Earthcare Landscaping Inc. “There was even a lid on every one that kept the topsoil from filling the holes during several rain storms after the wall was built.” Results Strata’s Sleeve-It design negated the need for a 36” offset of the fence on top of the wall. This 3-foot real estate savings actually translated into a total area savings of 10,000 square feet for the entire project. Traditional methods of integrating a railing at the wall face would have added 2-3 times greater cost to this portion of the project. The end result was a well secured facility completed on time, within budget, and able to deliver the peace of mind that goes with it. Attention Editors: The following is the actual building code that applies to this application. SIDEBAR - The 2006 International Building Code, Section 1013.1 and 1013.2 requires a minimum 42” railing near the open sides of elevated walking surfaces that exceed 30” in height. Section 1607.7.1 states that handrail assemblies and guards shall be designed to resist either a 200 lb concentrated load or a 50 plf load, application dependent. This load is required to be safely transferred through the supports of the fencing or guard system and into the structure (foundation). Most municipalities in the United States have adopted these building codes as their own. |
| Supportive Imagery The SLEEVE-IT System (Click to enalarge) |
| Photo caption #1 (Sleeve-It units placed in ground before backfill process): Sleeve-It™ units were placed at the desired spacing then capped during wall construction. Once the wall is backfilled, the weight of the overlying soil provides support for the fence system. |
| Photo caption #2 (Close up of capped Sleeve-It): The Sleeve-It lid component temporarily provides safety from an open hole and prevents collection of debris during periods of inactivity between wall construction and the actual fence installation. |
| Photo caption #3 (Fence assembled with DHL facility in background): The design of Strata’s Sleeve-It system allows fence integration at the face of the retaining wall. For two decades the industry standard has been to offset the fence 36” from the tail of the retaining wall block. Strata’s innovative technology freed up 10,000 square feet of property area on this project while meeting the building code requirements. |
| The Incomparable Sleeve-It System |
Brief Overview: Strata Systems - Sleeve-It Product Story - DHL Facility
