Haxall Mill Race Walk

City of Richmond, Virginia

As a sub-consultant to Higgins & Associates, The Structures Group, Inc. provided the structural design and construction administration services for two cast in place concrete retaining walls, each over 400’ long and 10’ tall, running parallel to the Haxall Mill Race Canal along the James River in Richmond, Virginia. These walls allowed the pedestrian walkway to meander along the edge of the canal providing a scenic overlook of adjacent Browns Island and the James River from behind the Federal Reserve Bank and the Dominion Towers. Specific parameters for the design of these walls involved surcharge loading, hydrostatic pressure, and required stream scour analysis as a result of the flooding history of the James River.

This project received an Engineering Excellence Award, presented by the Consulting Engineering Council of Virginia. It should be noted that the James River has flooded four (4) times since the construction of the race walk. After the waters receded from each flood, the retaining walls and facility exhibited no damage.

Services Provided: Structural Analysis, Structural Design, Construction Administration, Inspections