Case Study: WSP strengthens Wellington’s Chaytor Street retaining wall for earthquake resilience with Seequent

WSP tackle redesign to earthquake strengthen a 100-year-old retaining wall

WSP New Zealand worked with Wellington City Council to redesign and earthquake-strengthen the 100-year-old Chaytor Street retaining wall in Wellington, a critical transport route supporting a steep embankment and fill-filled gully. The project was highly complex because the wall is long, tall, and built on variable ground conditions, with historical data, conflicting investigations, and two expansive walls to account for.

Using Seequent’s Leapfrog Works alongside Revit and GeoStudio, WSP created an interactive 3D digital twin that combined subsurface geotechnical data, topography, and structural design to improve decision-making and communicate risk. Seequent helped WSP visualize bedrock conditions, optimize the placement of more than 100 steel rock anchors and piles, and support a more accurate, efficient, and cost-effective seismic retrofit that will improve safety and long-term resilience for the community.

WSP

Pathmanathan Brabhaharan

National Technical Director