The Dirt on PATH400

Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead, gives us the dirt on PATH400 progress.

Happy fall… maybe?? Is it real fall or fake fall? Who really knows, but boots season is my favorite season so I will take it!

The theme of this month’s installment is “walls.” It may sound like I am desperate for something to write about, but believe it or not, it is one of the cooler parts of the PATH400 design – and you all know I am a bit of a nerd at heart.

Would you believe we have 11 separate walls, totaling 2,032 linear feet?! The whole section between Wieuca Road and Loridans Drive is about a mile, so just shy of half of it is on a wall (or two!). Between that and the bridges, you can certainly understand the obnoxious price tag.

Of the 11 walls, there are four different kinds. PATH400 is an engineer’s dream – there are only 8 types of walls approved by GDOT, and we have half of them in this one project. We even run one right into another and fool you into thinking they are the same. Of course we like to make them tall too, with our tallest one at 24 feet high! Who knew we were a training ground for structure geeks?

CONFESSION: I barely scraped by passing “structures” in architecture school, so be glad we have our awesome engineering team at Heath & Lineback on the job!

So, here’s your primer on the walls we have:

Gravity Walls

This is the easiest and cheapest wall so it is the go-to wall type for engineers. But, it can only go up to about six to seven feet, so we can only use it in a few places. It is formed up and poured in place and is your basic hunk-o-concrete. You make them look cool by using a form liner (think cookie cutter) to put a fancy design onto them to make them look like real stone.

Soil Nail Walls

These are the kinds of walls you build from top to bottom as you excavate down. Giant soil nails (which should be called screws) are lodged way back into the earth to hold it in place as more is dug out below. Once the excavation is down to the level needed, concrete is blown into place with a fire hose. Then, they are finished with a facing that is designed to look like fancy stacked block.

MSE Walls
Mechanically Stabilized Earth walls are designed to stabilize and retain soil on steep slopes. And, do we ever have some steep slopes to deal with! They are easier to build and don’t use as much right-of-way. You see these everywhere, especially along the highway off-ramps. Your next family road trip game of I-spy just got a new challenge!

Gravix Walls
These bad boys are for tough stuff. They look like pre-cast half boxes that get lowered in with a crane, locked into place, and then backfilled with gravel. These are a little faster to install and are easier to get into tight places. They are used when you really don’t have the space or ability to excavate.

Here’s a video of our Gravix wall taking shape!

What happens when walls collide? 
It is really cool that we have so many different types of walls, but we did run into a challenge because of them. They are all made by different manufacturers, so the facings are just a little bit different. When you run one type right into another they don’t exactly match. It is kind of like trying to match paint colors – it looks worse when they just miss. We had to change one of the walls to avoid this, but NEVER FEAR – artwork saves the day! We found a new spot for a mural or sandblasted wall.

Hard Hat Tours

Things are constantly changing on the project, so come out and join us for our next construction tour. Space is limited so reserve your spot early! Remember, this is an active construction site, so the tour will require you to wear closed-toe shoes (preferably boots), long pants, and be physically able to do some climbing.

Our second hard hat tour will be held on Saturday, September 30th at 10 a.m. and limited to 25 people. Claim your spot before it’s too late!

Join Us for Party on the PATH

You’re invited to attend Livable Buckhead’s signature Party on the PATH event on Sunday, October 1st. Party on the PATH is an annual celebration of art and greenspace, two areas of our work that help make Buckhead an even better place to live, work and play. Join us for a live silent auction, dinner and dancing, and great company.

Sunday, October 1: 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Miami Circle Gallery Stroll, 4:00 to 6:00pm.
Dinner and Dancing, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Eclipse di Luna

764 Miami Circle NE Atlanta, GA 30324

Use promo code DIRT5 for $5 off your tickets! Click here to purchase your ticket.