Velocity Tests of Concrete Retaining Wall, South Amsterdam, New York,

The retaining wall on which the tests were made is located along the right bank of the Mohawk River at South Amsterdam, New York. It is composed of 10 concrete sections and is approximately 380 ft long. The concrete in the wall is unreinforced and was placed in 1915. The New York District, CE, has proposed that this wall be incorporated in the South Amsterdam Flood Control Project. The proposed design provides for the wall to be raised approximately 8 ft by capping and reinforcing. A minimum requirement for the acceptability of the present wall is a compressive strength of 1000 psi. A series of pulse velocity determinations were made through the concrete in all 10 sections of the wall.