Project Details
Location: East Boston, Massachusetts
Owner: Massachusetts Port Authority
Contractor: Bond Brothers, Inc. & SPS New England, Inc., A JV
Products Used
Reinforcing Critical Airport Infrastructure with Lightweight MSE Solutions
Project Description
As part of the major reconstruction effort surrounding Terminal B at Logan International Airport, crews demolished and rebuilt significant portions of roadway originally built in the 1960s and early 2000s. To maintain airport operations throughout construction, the project incorporated extensive logistical planning and temporary work.
As part of the project team, Geoquest USA delivered a first-of-its-kind solution tailored to the site’s unique constraints.
Challenge
The construction of new retaining wall and abutment structures at two locations required building within tight spatial constraints and over areas with limited foundation capacity. Traditional MSE wall backfill—generally exceeding 100 pounds per cubic foot—would impose load levels that risked excessive settlement or would require more time for ground improvement.
Compounding the challenge, the new structures had to seamlessly tie into existing viaducts, cast-in-place walls, and active roadways—all within a highly constrained work zone.
The team needed a solution that could reduce foundation stress, perform reliably under load, and be constructed efficiently without disrupting ongoing airport operations.
Geoquest Solution
Geoquest provided full design support beginning in 2020, continuing through construction from 2021 to 2022. We implemented a first-of-its-kind solution for our team: Reinforced Earth® MSE walls utilizing foamed glass aggregate (FGA) as lightweight select backfill. The system featured large, rectangular concrete facing panels and ribbed steel strip reinforcements.
One wall, approximately 97 feet long, was constructed between an existing viaduct and a cast-in-place retaining wall, requiring precise alignment within a narrow footprint. Another section was a bridge approach ramp wall that included a temporary wire mesh MSE wall in the upper portion, used to elevate the roadway during an interim traffic phase.
Both walls utilized FGA supplied by Aero Aggregates, weighing approximately 17 pounds per cubic foot—nearly one‑sixth the density of conventional granular backfill.
Drawing on decades of experience incorporating lightweight materials into MSE and T‑WALL® systems, Geoquest successfully delivered a solution that minimized foundation pressures, accommodated settlement concerns, and met the demanding constraints of the airport redevelopment program.
