As beautiful as they are, coastal and bluff zones are highly erosive, unstable, and prone to sliding.
GeoStabilization International® often get calls to stabilize and reinforce deteriorating waterfront slopes near residential properties and critical public infrastructures such as ports, harbors, dams, and reservoirs.
In such cases, GeoStabilization deploys a combination of shotcrete, high-capacity steel mesh, grouting, and proprietary SuperNails® tensile elements.
The owner of a gorgeous property overlooking Lake Erie called us because his backyard was slowly eroding and sliding into the lakeshore below. This had already reduced the backyard’s footprint, but the bigger concern was that, over time, it would endanger the whole property and everyone on it.
The client’s house was high atop a soil cliff that was experiencing differential ground weathering. That meant GeoStabilization had to find a way to not only stop the ongoing slope erosion but also harden the crest to prevent further deterioration.
Fortunately, GeoStabilization’s geotechnical engineers had a ready solution. Proprietary SuperNails® were installed into the slope to densify the soil, and then added shotcrete reinforced by high-capacity steel mesh to strengthen the crest.
First, the GeoStabilization crew cleared, excavated, and reshaped the bluff to prime the site for the next steps.
Multiple rows of self-drilling SuperNails® were installed into the slope face. The nails were up to 20 feet long and reached up to 12 feet below the crest, with their ends protruding through the soil by around five inches.
GeoStabilization’s crew then grouted the SuperNails® along their full length to ensure optimal pull-out resistance.
Unlike conventional solid bar soil nails, which cannot stop active ground movement and could even make it worse, SuperNails® can be installed in:
Our SuperNails® technology makes it possible to intervene right in the middle of an active landslide, stop it, and reduce the risk of similar issues in the future — similar to this property in Lake Erie.
Finally, GeoStabilization installed a 12-feet-tall band of shotcrete reinforced by high-capacity steel mesh to support and strengthen the crest.
Shotcrete is conventional concrete reinforced by steel mesh, steel rods, or fiber. To apply the shotcrete, we spray it through a hose at a high velocity onto the intended surface.
This technique provides heavy erosion protection and complements the impact of tensile elements such as the SuperNails®.
GeoStabilization International® is a premier coastal, shoreline, and bluff stabilization company in the United States and Canada.
Our geotechnical engineers can assist you with emergencies, ongoing erosion and ground movement, shotcrete, grouting, lateral tensile element installation, and continuous geohazard monitoring of changes near shoreline real estate and infrastructure. Contact us today.
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.
