Tensar Receives NCDOT Approval for ARES, Mesa Retaining Walls

Words: Dan Kamys Tensar Receives NCDOT Approval for ARES, Mesa Retaining Walls

??

Tensar International, a geosynthetic soil reinforcement and stabilization company, has received full approval with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for its ARES and Mesa Retaining Wall Systems. As of Jan. 31, 2011, the NCDOT required that companies submit and receive approval to build mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls based on the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) design methodology. The Mesa Systems previously had full approval with the NCDOT. Both the ARES and Mesa Systems are now updated to meet the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications latest design requirements.

Tensar has also received approvals in other states for their products. Recent approvals include:

  • ?? California’s CalTrans approved Mesa Systems under new LRFD design methodology
  • ?? The Ohio DOT approved Tensar’s UX geogrid design strength for ARES walls
  • ?? The New Jersey DOT uses ARES Systems for true bridge abutment
  • ?? The Maryland State Highway Administration approved ARES Systems precast panel wall MSE syste.

The inert properties of Tensar Geogrids permit the use of a wide range of backfills, including recycled materials and those not suitable to be used with steel-reinforced wall systems, allowing contractors to save time and labor costs when installing the ARES Systems. For more information, visit http://www.tensarcorp.com.

The Practicality Behind Cavity Walls
February 2026

The construction industry tends to chase certainty. We want walls that never leak, materials that never move, and systems that behave the same in the field as they do on paper. Every generation pushes for a tighter envelope, a thinner assembly, or a smart

Technical Talks
Read More
Bonding with Masonry 2026: Q1
February 2026

This issue’s questions come from a Mason Contractor and an Engineer. What questions do you have? Send them to info@masonrymagazine.com, attention Technical Talk. Q. A Mason Contractor states they were asked to construct a brick veneer on a multi-story pr

David Biggs
Bonding with Masonry
Read More
No Shortcuts: The Journey of Real Stone
February 2026

Have you ever stopped and really thought about how that stone on the wall got there? I don’t mean the install...not the mortar, the scratch coat, or the clean-up. I mean the whole journey. From the first cut in the earth to the

Rob McKay
Technical Talks
Read More
Stop Gambling on the Wall: Why the Modern Jobsite Demands a Sure Thing
February 2026

If you have spent any time walking the carpeted aisles of the World of Concrete, you know the vibe. It is a sensory overload of heavy machinery, slick demos, and the collective optimism of thousands of contractors. We are in Las Vegas, the gambling capita

Shayne Sanders
Technical Talks
Read More