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Membership Meetings

Preventing Retaining Wall Problems and Failures

Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Maggiano’s Springfield Mall 11am-1pm

Most retaining walls fail because of design errors, improper geogrid placement and inadequate drainage.  If you want to learn best practices for preventing these failures, attend the WACEL, Wednesday May 20 Meeting at Maggiano’s Springfield Mall, from 11am-1pm.  Doug Statler (York Building Products) will provide an advanced overview of both segmental and precast modular block retaining walls, conveying best practices for avoiding problems and failures

Learning Objectives

Best practices for defining the testing and inspection scope for wood-framed commercial projects.     

  • Understand how gravity walls and geogrid reinforced walls are designed and function:
    • Review cross sections
    • Design guidelines
    • Rules of thumb
  • The wide range of specific project applications where modular walls are used:
    • Water applications
    • Parks
    • Trails
    • Bridges
    • DOT projects
    • Amphitheaters
    • Athletic fields
  • Best practices for special inspections of retaining walls
  • The expanded array of visually appealing retain wall system options available
  • Recognize the health and safety benefits of proper retaining wall design and installation
  • Lessons learned from past projects
    • Water management
    • Global stability
    • Proper backfill soils
    • Unsuitable bearing soils

Click here to register.

One CEU will be presented for attending this session.

About the Speaker: Doug Slater

 

Doug Statler has been in the construction industry since 1991, specializing in segmental retaining walls for more than 27 years. He has worked at York Building Products for more than 19 years, and previously designed retaining wall for an engineering firm in Frederick, MD for 5 years. Prior to that he worked for another concrete block company. He is an engineered wall consultant and sales representative with for DC, MD, VA and WV. Doug consults with civil engineers and landscape architects during the design phase of projects, and he sells retaining wall materials to dealers, landscapers and commercial wall contractors.

Click here to register..

One CEU will be presented for attending this session.