The Landmark retaining wall system has recently been evaluated by the Highway Innovative Technology Evaluation Center (HITEC) of the Civil Engineering Research Foundation (CERF). Space was tight on this construction site next to railroad tracks in Pennsylvania. And a water main ran through the face of the wall. Since the developer wanted to build a high-rise office complex and road- way on the site, the Landmark system was specified by the designers. A portion of this 12,000-square-foot (1,115 m2) wall was constructed over an existing MSE structure using grouted structural anchors attached to steel beams which ran through the unit cores. Designers needed a tall wall capable of supporting a 100-ton loading capacity . Report Completed With No Noted Exceptions The Landmark retaining wall system represents a breakthrough in retaining wall technology. This system was developed specifically to meet the high standards set by the transportation industry and is the culmination of years of research and testing to develop a modular block, mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) structure for high performance under extreme loading conditions. The Landmark system comprises uniquely shaped modular concrete blocks, standard geosynthetic reinforcement materials (grids and fabrics) and the Zero Normal Load (ZNL)™ connection technology. The particular reinforcement evaluated by HITEC with the Landmark blocks was a Mirafi® polyester grid. This is the first modular block/ polyester grid MSE to be evaluated by HITEC. The report was completed with no noted exceptions. More than 50 structures had been built before submitting the information about the Landmark system for evaluation. The tallest Landmark system completed to date is about 50 feet (15.24 m) high. According to the HITEC report, the Landmark/ Mirafi system is a technically viable and cost-competitive MSE structure. The complete report is available at www.cerf.org/about/reports/40677.htm. HITEC, established through a cooperative agreement between CERF and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is a nationally recognized clearinghouse for implementing highway innovation. It provides impartial performance evaluations for products where no standards or specifications exist. Many state Departments of Transportation will not consider using a product until it has been through the HITEC evaluation process.