VERSA LOK
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Versa Lok is a standard Retaining Wall System. There are many variables to consider, however, when planning or constructing any segmental retaining wall. Soil types, drainage, loading, topography, and height needs to be addressed on every project to ensure safe, trouble-free installation. Walls which support heavy loads or exceed four feet in height require special soil reinforcement and often professionally designed plans. Consult a qualified engineer if you are unsure about any construction, site, or soil conditions.
Versa Lok standard units can be used to build walls in excess of 40 ft. when using appropriate geosynthetic reinforcement and proper design.
The VERSA-LOK System is a permanent, attractive, preferred alternative to ordinary retaining wall types. Standard walls display a natural split-face texture to complement any environment and, because they are made of concrete, are environmentally safe.
Also the standard versa lok retaining walls are economically installed without mortar and do not require concrete footings. In addition, one Standard unit is used to build straight walls, inside corners, outside corners, curves, and steps. No special units need to be ordered
or estimated. Matching concrete caps are available to attractively finish any VERSA-LOK
Standard wall.
This system has rapidly earned approval from architects, engineers, and contractors. It provides unlimited design flexibility, unsurpassed durability, and fast installation. The VERSA LOK Standard system may be easily installed by contractors, grounds maintenance personnel, or municipal construction crews.
VERSA LOK Standard retaining wall units are ideal for residential, commercial, and agency projects. They are routinely used by many state transportation departments and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Properly designed, Standard walls may be constructed to heights in excess of 40 feet. VERSA-LOK wall units are made from high-strength, low-absorption concrete on standard block machines. Solid characteristics make Standard units resistant to damage before, during, and after construction in all climates.
Holes and slots molded into units accept VERSA-TUFF Pins, which are non-corrosive, glass reinforced nylon pins. Pins interlock units and help provide consistent alignment. This unique hole-to-slot pinning system permits easy variable-bond construction—keeping vertical joints tight.
Standard units are made from high-strength, low-absorption concrete on concrete block machines.
The Standard units’ solid characteristics make them resistant to damage before, during, and after
construction in all climates, including shoreline applications.
VERSA LOK Standard units have a unique hole-to-slot pin system for easy installation and superior structural integrity. Standard System Overview Pinning VERSA LOK Standard units interlock with non-corrosive VERSA-TUFF® Pins (two per unit). As wall courses are installed, pins are inserted through holes in uppermost course units and are received in slots of adjacent lower course units. Pinning helps to align units in a consistent 3/4-inch setback per course. Unenforced Walls On many projects, VERSA-LOK Standard retaining walls work purely as gravity systems – unit weight alone provides resistance to earth pressures. Frictional forces between units and pin connections hold units together so walls behave as coherent structures. Batter setback of wall faces offers additional resistance against overturning. Maximum allowable wall height for gravity walls varies with soil and loading conditions. Generally, with level back-fill, good soils and no excessive loading, VERSA LOK Standard gravity walls are stable to heights of four feet. Reinforced Walls When weight of units alone is not enough to resist soil loads, horizontal layers of geosynthetics are used to reinforce soil behind walls. With proper soil reinforcement and design, VERSA LOK Standard walls can be constructed to heights in excess of 40 feet. Geosynthetics do not act as tie-backs for wall faces. Rather, geosynthetics and soil combine to create reinforced soil structures that are strong and massive enough to resist forces exerted on them. In soil-reinforced walls, Standard units simply retain soil between layers of geosynthetics and provide attractive, durable faces.
Foundation
Foundation soils on which segmental retaining walls will rest must be stiff, firm, and have sufficient capacity to support wall system weight. Any loose, soft, or compressible material must be removed and replaced with properly compacted back-fill. The bearing capacity of the foundation soils should be addressed by a soils engineer. VERSA-LOK Standard retaining walls are installed on leveling pads consisting of coarse sand or well-graded angular gravel. The most commonly used material for leveling pads is that which is used locally as road base aggregate. Granular leveling pads provide
stiff, yet somewhat flexible, bases to distribute wall weights. Rigid concrete footings extending below frost are not required or recommended. Because Standard units are installed without mortar, they are free to move slightly in relation to each other. Flexibility of the leveling pads and wall units accommodates freeze/thaw cycles without damage to structures. VERSA LOK Standard walls, installed on granular leveling pads, have been successfully used on projects throughout
North America—including shoreline applications and walls exceeding 40 feet in height.
If a contractor chooses to form leveling pads using concrete, unenforced pads should be
made of lean concrete mix (200-300 psi) and no more than two inches thick. To ensure correct
Standard unit alignment, special care needs to be taken to construct concrete pads that are
exactly level. In rare situations where rigid, reinforced-concrete footings are required, they should be placed below seasonal frost depths.
Embedment
VERSA-LOK Standard segmental retaining walls usually have one-tenth of exposed wall heights embedded below grade. For example, a wall with ten feet of height exposed above grade would have a minimum of one foot buried below grade—making a total wall height of 11.0 feet. Embedment should be increased for special conditions such as slope at the toe of walls, soft foundation soils, or shoreline applications. Embedment provides enhanced wall stability and long-term protection for leveling pads.
Soils and Compaction
With proper design, segmental retaining walls can be constructed within a wide variety of soil
conditions. Granular soils are preferred as fill in the areas reinforced with geosynthetics; however, fine-grained soils such as clays are acceptable. Usually, coarse soils require less soil reinforcement and are easier to compact than fine soils. Problem materials like expansive clays, compressible soils, or highly organic soils (top soil) should be avoided or properly addressed in designs. Proper compaction of foundation and back-fill soil is critical to long-term performance of retaining wall systems. Loose back-fill will add pressure on walls, collect water, cause settlement, and will not anchor soil reinforcement materials properly. Foundation and back-fill materials should be compacted to at least 95 percent of standard Proctor density. (Proctor density is the maximum). Properly compacted soils are critical to the performance of a VERSA LOK Standard retaining wall.
