Farmers Market Slope Stabilization

Jackson, Mississippi

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) was retained by the State of Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce to provide geotechnical engineering services related to the investigation, design and construction of a slope stabilization system to halt a significant landslide which was threatening to damage Jefferson Street near the Farmers Market in Jackson, Mississippi.  Previous attempts to remediate this landslide had been unsuccessful. Taking into consideration numerous site constraints caused by limited right-of-way and topography, BCD recommended remediating the landslide by constructing a soil nail wall in the upper portions of the landslide and then utilizing a slope regrading stabilization system to return the lower slope to a more stable grade.

Use of the soil nail wall/slope regrading stabilization system was more cost effective than other conventional remediation methods, allowing design and construction of the wall to be completed in a relatively short time frame without requiring temporary shoring during construction. This method also avoided the closure of Jefferson Street while construction was performed and also resulted in an aesthetically pleasing wall and slope facing the Farmers Market, a popular facility which allows Mississippi farmers to sell produce directly to the public.

BCD’s work on this project was performed as part of a team consisting of Cooke, Douglass, Farr, Lemons/Ltd. Architects and Engineers; Spencer-Engineers, Inc.; Engineering Service; Birdsong Construction and Hayward Baker, Inc.

BCD received the ACEC-MS 2011 Engineering Excellence Honor Award for this project.