Fort Hill Trail is the most widely used hiking trail in the Cleveland Metroparks (Park) system. The trail sits in a unique setting consisting of a two-sided ridge that rises vertically 110 feet above the Rocky River on its south side and 108 feet on a 1:1 slope above an ancient oxbow that now forms ponds on the north side of the ridge.

The old staircase for Fort Hill Trail, built in 1982, was razed last year after movement of the shale cliff rendered it unstable. SME was consulting Cleveland Metroparks on the project’s design and determined that the initial geotechnical engineer on the project underestimated the depth to rock upon which the foundations were to be constructed. Working with the park surveyors and our drilling crew, we were able to establish the actual bedrock profile. This allowed the contractor to properly drill and socket pier foundations into the shale bedrock in support of the new stairs. SME also performed slope stability calculations as part of our evaluation to ensure safe working limits for equipment, working near the bluff over the Rocky River.

The design and construction of the new stair system includes 155 steps (each 6 feet wide), and several observation platforms. They provide access to more than 1,500 visitors a day, who come to enjoy commanding views of the river.

Aside from on-going geotechnical consultation and supplemental soil borings with slope stability analysis, SME provided the following services:

• Observation of all bearing services for compliance with specifications.
• Checking of all reinforcing steel used in the construction of the concrete foundations and piers.
• Testing the concrete placed in the piers and foundations for slump, temperature, air-content, and compressive strength.
• Checking of the shop welds using visual and NDT methods for the steel support brackets connecting concrete piers to timber framing.

The project took eleven months to complete. SME received recognition at the opening ceremony for guiding the Park and their design-build contractor through the difficult site conditions and challenges. As further appreciation, SME’s name is engraved on the official trail plaque at the top of Fort Hill.