When heavy rain meets poor drainage systems, the results range from minor inconveniences to major emergencies and health and safety hazards.
Our clients for this bluff stabilization project got the shorter end of the stick. Fortunately, our team at GeoStabilization International® was up to the task. We engineered and implemented a sprayed concrete or shotcrete wall that drastically improved drainage and repaired the compromised slope.
A residential area in Spanish Fort, AL, experienced heavy rain. The area’s poor drainage system and broken culvert could not handle the influx of water. As a result, a bluff that formed the backyard of several homes failed.
The ensuing erosion caused a large canyon to form. Over time, the canyon expanded so much that its wall stopped within six feet of the back of the houses.
Our main priority was to arrest the erosion. Then, we had to prevent it from spreading further.
The sheer size of the unstable earth mass under and near the houses, as well as the deep soft subsurface conditions, meant that our solution had to address both the slope erosion and the poor drainage.
We decided to build a retaining wall using dry mix shotcrete and soil nailing technology to stabilize the slope. Then, we would create a new drainage system to remove future stormwater.
Before we could begin work on the shotcrete wall, we had to remove as much as 15 feet of soil. This soil removal reduced the slope angle and improved the safety of the lower part of the slope.
Next, we built the retaining wall at the top of the bluff. We applied the shotcrete using the Shotcrete Robot, an innovative solution that enables us to apply shotcrete with equipment rather than manually with a shotcrete hose. This technique increases safety and ensures higher-quality installations.
We used a soil nailing process, which involves the insertion of thin reinforcing bars or nails into the ground to stabilize slopes or retaining walls. The nails usually undergo full grouting, followed by the installation of steel-reinforced shotcrete or wire mesh for added compressive strength and erosion control. To that end, we deployed GeoStabilization’s Soil Nail Launcher™ and blasted our proprietary SuperNails® into the slope at speeds reaching 250 mph.
Once we completed the soil nail wall system, we engineered and implemented a custom drainage system and added riprap to take future stormwater off the slope in a controlled manner.
At GeoStabilization International®, we have been helping clients across the United States and Canada with all types of ground stabilization projects for over two decades. We can handle all jobs, no matter how challenging.
Call us at 855-579-0536 today to discuss your needs.
If you are interested in a no-obligation site visit to determine if our services fit your geohazard mitigation needs, call us at 855-579-0536 or fill out our contact form.
