System and method for widening a highway and supporting a sound wall

摘要

A system and method for widening a highway and supporting a sound wall is provided that includes a single row of caissons for providing the sole foundation of a breast wall and a sound wall. The caissons include a vertically-oriented network of reinforcing steel, an upper portion of which is integrated into the steel reinforcing network of a cast-in-place breast wall. The sound wall is mounted on and supported by the top ends of the caissons and serves to obstruct the transmission of sound from the highway. The vertically-oriented reinforcing members of the caissons are spaced away from the center portion of each caisson in two opposing groups in order to maximize its bending strength in a direction orthogonal to the highway, which is the primary direction in which cut earth, compacted fill material, and winds apply bending moments to the breast wall and sound wall. The use of a single row of caissons having a high bending strength in a direction orthogonal to the highway minimizes the labor and materials necessary to support the breast wall and the sound wall, and advantageously minimizes the amount of space necessary to excavate and construct the foundation.