When is a retaining wall more than a retaining wall? When the retaining wall design both retains earth and serves as a sport rock climbing wall, as is the case at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, VA.
Lynchburg College’s dual-purpose wall came into being as part of the $12 million renovation and expansion of the school’s student center. Renovation would cover 8,000 feet of the old student center. The expansion would add 30,000 square feet to the 42,000-square-foot building.
Doing such a large project on this particular site required construction of a new road so that trucks and construction equipment could go in and out of the site without interfering in the daily college life of faculty, staff, and students; the road would also be used for future deliveries. For the road to be secure, the site’s steep slopes required construction of a retaining wall.
The Climbing Wall at Lynchburg College
“The existing slope was almost a cliff in the woods,” says Aaron Hardin of Concrete Pipe and Precast in Richmond, VA. “The woods had to be cleared and the earth brought out for the road and [future] parking lot.”
When is a retaining wall more than a retaining wall? When the retaining wall design both retains earth and serves as a sport rock climbing wall, as is the case at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, VA. Lynchburg College’s dual-purpose wall came into being as part of the $12 million renovation and expansion of the school’s student center. Renovation would cover 8,000 feet of the old student center. The expansion would add 30,000 square feet to the 42,000-square-foot building. Doing such a large project on this particular site required construction of a new road so that trucks and construction equipment could go in and out of the site without interfering in the daily college life of faculty, staff, and students; the road would also be used for future deliveries. For the road to be secure, the site’s steep slopes required construction of a retaining wall. The Climbing Wall at Lynchburg College “The existing slope was almost a cliff in the woods,” says Aaron Hardin of Concrete Pipe and Precast in Richmond, VA. “The woods had to be cleared and the earth brought out for the road and [future] parking lot.” [text_ad] Lynchburg College officials realized that the wall they hadn’t planned on having to install offered an unexpected bonus. By spending a little more money, they could add a new recreational activity for students: rock climbing and rappelling.
Lynchburg College officials realized that the wall they hadn’t planned on having to install offered an unexpected bonus. By spending a little more money, they could add a new recreational activity for students: rock climbing and rappelling.
When the project was finished, Lynchburg College had three new walls. The main wall is reinforced with a steel geogrid, and the other two are gravity walls. The three walls total about 12,500 square feet. The highest point is over 24 feet.
“It’s unusual to see both gravity and reinforced walls all connected together,” says Hardin. “Stone Strong walls can go 16 to 18 feet high without [needing] reinforcement, but they can go up to 50 feet with reinforcement.”
The Lynchburg College wall is composed of precast concrete block from Stone Strong Systems of Lincoln, NE. College officials wanted a new pattern on the outer face of the concrete blocks.
“We had to get that pattern in before we could cast the blocks, so that added a little time on the preparation,” explains Hardin.
Concrete Pipe and Precast designed the wall and began production of the precast blocks in February 2013. Pearson Construction began building the wall that April.
Work had to be stopped for two months while a utility issue was resolved. Even though the Virginia spring weather brought some rainy days that delayed work as well, the wall was finished in just four months.
A local rock climbing outfitter installed climbing fixtures and safety features in the wall’s main section, which is 24 feet high by 50 feet wide. Now Lynchburg students can use either a climbing wall or a bouldering wall, a form of low-level climbing without ropes or harnesses.
The college’s Outdoor Leadership Program provides trained instructors during the times the wall is available for recreational climbing. It is also used for physical education classes. Hardin says that although he has seen plenty of retaining wall design projects, he has not seen a retaining wall design that is also used for recreation.
