Founded just seven years ago by Mike Stevenson and Lou Ramzi, Geogrid Retaining Wall Systems, Inc., Vista, has made extensive use of JCB extendable lifts to build over 400,000 square ft of its product in various Southern California locations.

Geogrid, a design/build construction firm, specializes in the design and construction of its reinforced soil retaining wall system, using Keystone blocks. Keystone, as Geogrid partner Mike Stevenson points out, "is a leader in the modular retaining wall industry, with over 50 million square feet of wall installed throughout the United States."

Geogrid's most recent projects --all highly visable-- include a retaining wall for the San Diego Chargers Football Training Facility, the Laurel Street Overcrossing in Downtown San Diego for the Metropolitan Transit District Board, a Home Depot in Escondido, a Price/Costco, in La Mesa, and a north San Diego County Caltrans job-- a total of 1525 lineal feet of wall on both east and west sides of State Route 78 in Vista.

The challenge to Geogrid on this Caltrans project--completed about a year ago--was to build a terraced wall in heights as tall as 25 ft. "We used JCB extendable Telescopic Handlers, with 12' truss booms--a loader which has an extendable boom on it--as well as front-end loaders and bobcats to do the job," Mike Stevenson says. The extendable JCB Telescopic Handlers "helped us build the wall from the front. In other words, on tall walls such as this one, the JCB's allowed us to reach above the top of the wall and place the block that way, then put the dirt, and all the other required material, over the top of the wall. No need to go behind the wall."

Simplicity is the key in the Geogrid Retaining Wall System technique. The wall is built without the use of concrete footings, mortar, or grout in any of the units, thus eliminating time and labor necessary for typical masonry block retaining walls. Geogrids are manufactured synthetic products of high density polyethelene formed into a grid-like pattern. The combination of the Keystone concrete wall unit with geogrid reinforcement, all covered with compacted soils over the geogrid, result is a reinforced soil mass.

Geogrid Retaining Wall Systems partners Mike Stevenson and Lou Ramzi head a company of 50 employees, including superintendents, foremen, laborers, operators and office staff. Each of them brought certain similar talents to the company. For example, Lou, a civil engineering graduate of San Jose State, owned his general contracting company, Landex, prior to joining forces with Mike to start their own firm.

Mike a native of Pueblo, Colorado, attended the University of Southern California where he took civil engineering courses. He then came west to San Diego--and San Diego State University--and entered the field of Keystone block sales. He later served as a contractor. The combination of Mike and Lou's experience and talents, along with the dedication of their employees are evident in the Geogrid Wall Systems that can be found throughout Southern California.