Centex has met with city officials to present a plan to stabilize the failing retaining wall in San Antonio's Hills of Rivermist subdivision.
The company released information that described the sort of work needed to make the area secure from future landslides.
They say the first stop included drilling and inserting several stabilizing piers in a pattern across the landslide area of the slope. According to Centex, the piers will stabilize the area so that soil and damaged portions of the wall can be removed.
They will utilize 100 piers, or pins, which are 30 feet long and between 2 to 3 feet in diameter. Each of the pins has a nine-inch steel tube embedded with 4,000 psi concrete.
Once the piers are in place, Centex will be able to begin to rebuild the wall.
The city of San Antonio issued Centex the permit necessary to begin the process, which is scheduled for Wednesday. The company expects it take about 30 days to complete.
The engineer who designed the plans for Centex asked for special inspections so that will require the builder's work to be monitored by an on-site inspector throughout the process. The inspections by San Antonio's Development Services department will take place daily, and will be posted weekly on-line at www.sanantonio.gov/dsd/rivermist.
Centex agreed to stop construction on three lots adjacent to the wall-failure site until the stabilization work is finished.
The city has made it clear that the stabilization project is only a temporary solution to the problem. The permanent solution sought is a complete wall reconstruction. By Friday, March 19, Centex will provide the city with a design concept for that to happen. A new retaining wall should be completed by April 30.
