Residential

Virgin River Residence at Zion

Located just outside Zion National Park, the town of Springdale welcomes tourists from around the world. The single-family home sits in an exclusive subdivision on a major turn of the Virgin River. In 2002 the lot was eroded by a major flood. The client engaged Watson Engineering in 2004 to repair the wall and design a new
home.

In addition to designing the structural system of the multi-million dollar home, Watson Engineering also designed a 24-foot high Gabion wall to reinforce the embankment, preventing the river from destroying property once the home was built. A Gabion is a wire cage or box filled with rocks and cobble. The wire baskets are then stacked to stabilize the soil. Watson worked with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for approval of the wall system.

The foundation of the home was placed on helical piers as extra support for the unstable, impervious soils typical of the area. As construction began, Watson Engineering worked with the contractor to rebuild the usable soil that had eroded during flooding.

Piette Residence and Gabion Wall
Springdale, Utah