Vista DSM™ walls are designed in accordance with AASHTO Guide Specifications for Structural Design of Sound Barriers. They are designed as a reinforced concrete cantilever wall. Typically, shallow spread footings are used and are designed identical to a cantilever wall. For the vertical portion of the wall, Vista DSM™ concrete block units are placed over the footing reinforcing steel.  The cells within the Vista DSM™ block units are used as a permanent construction forming system to align a series of reinforced concrete columns. The cells of the units line up vertically creating continuous vertical columns. The cells are on 9” centers, so columns can be built with centers on multiples of 9”. Columns are typically necessary on 9” or 18” centers. Vista DSM™ units are available in exterior dimension widths of 7” and 9”. For noise walls 7” units are typically used for wall heights up to 10’ to 15’ depending on loading conditions and 9” units used for larger retaining and sound walls.

It is important to note that for these walls the Vista DSM™ block units are not used in the analysis. Only the concrete and reinforcing steel placed within the cells and the conventional concrete footings contribute to the structural stability of the wall system.

Vertical reinforcing steel, typically #4 to #6 bars are centered within the cells. Although horizontal steel is not required for structural purposes, it is used as a locater for the vertical bars and to meet some local building codes for temperature steel. The Vista DSM™ units have channels in the unit base for horizontal steel placement. Horizontal rebar is typically #3 bars and placed in pairs on 48” maximum vertical centers. The cells are typically grouted with 4000-psi grout and in 8 foot maximum grout heights.

Further design familiarization and resources are available through ACT including engineering wall specialists for each region.

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