The mansion that serves as the main building of Oriente Foundation, along with the adjacent retaining wall, was built in the 19th century. The neighboring residence, built more recently, is the result of a pre-existing structure that has undergone various alterations over time.

The intervention involved the reinforcement and repair of a retaining wall and the rehabilitation of a residence at Oriente Foundation.

Prior to the intervention, OZ conducted a “Study of Existing Anomalies” on the retaining wall at Fundação Oriente. During the site inspection, several anomalies were detected. OZ proposed a diagnostic methodology aimed at defining corrective stabilization measures for the wall. The inspection included observation of the wall and adjacent buildings, with major anomalies documented through drawings and photographs. Additionally, a geological and geotechnical survey of the foundation soils was carried out.

Steps and techniques used

The intervention consisted of structurally reinforcing the retaining wall by encasing the existing buttresses and constructing new reinforced concrete support buttresses. The foundations were strengthened by installing micro-piles, building new foundation footings for the new buttresses, and enlarging the footings of the existing ones. The wall reinforcement also included the installation of metal profiles to create an appropriate load path, thus relieving stress from the wall’s more fragile areas. The service provision also included various tasks related to the rehabilitation of the single-family residence located behind the retaining wall.

The reinforcement and repair of the wall included the following activities:

• Preparation of work platforms and areas;
• Temporary shoring of the wall;
• Excavation in foundation areas;
• Foundation reinforcement with micro-piles;
• Surface preparation of existing buttresses;
• Installation of anchors at buttress-to-wall and buttress-to-foundation joints;
• Assembly of reinforcement and concreting of new buttresses;
• Reinforcement of wall panels with metal profiles.