remediate your land following a landslip
Has your property experienced a landslide and you are looking to remediate and stabilise the land? Don’t know how to start? Here’s a quick guide through the processes involved with slope stabilisation and some of the engineering options available.
First off, we would recommend getting a geotechnical assessment of the property. This will generally include a site visit from an engineer to review the current site conditions and get an understanding of the landslip. A ground investigation should then be undertaken to confirm details for design and validate visual evidence. This may include boreholes or testing (minimally invasive <200mm holes) across the site allowing the engineer to review the ground conditions beneath the surface and obtain samples for laboratory testing if required. Following the ground investigation, the engineer can then provide an assessment and report. The report will confirm the ground conditions present; stability of the slope and considerations that will need to be adopted in design of your landslide remediation option.
Following the geotechnical assessment, a remediation strategy can be decided taking into consideration the specific conditions at your property. many factors that may be present at the site. You should feel informed about options for remediating your landslip, so that the solution you choose suits your needs and is feasible; suitable and affordable. A face to face discussion on site with your geotechnical engineer, and potentially involving a structural engineer or a contractor can help ensure you understand relative benefits and risks and are getting the best possible outcome.
Some standard* strategies are outlined below:
Retaining wall | Palisade wall | Soil nail/rock bolts | Spray concrete |
A well-known method of retaining and stabilising land, generally capable of being constructed by most suitably experienced contractors. There are numerous variations of retaining structures, including: Timber Pole; Crib; Gabion Basket; Concrete Block/Masonry. | This is essentially an in-ground retaining wall which is fully embedded into the ground and is not visible at surface. The in-ground system is designed to protect useable/valuable land and structures by connecting any overlying unstable ground with deeper stronger soils to provide stabilisation against future landslips. | These are a strategy that involves driving rods into the face of a landslip to anchor it to stable soils behind. Soil nails are commonly combined with a special matting that covers the exposed face of the landslide to prevent surface erosion and enable plants to grow. | This comprises spraying a flowable concrete mix onto a slope. This is targeted at preventing rock falls and shallow soil slips rather than more significant landslips, and is not recommended in protected areas (e.g. Coastal Conservation Area). |
*Please note this is not a full list and there may be other more specialised solutions that can be adopted
Once a remedial solution has been selected, your geotechnical/structural engineer can proceed with the calculations and design to provide specific details for the construction. Drawings are then prepared along with any specification details so that a contractor can be engaged to construct the proposed solution.
General consultation should be undertaken with your local council to confirm if the works require consent. If a consent is required, the local council will likely require a copy of the construction drawings along with additional information (e.g. the previous geotechnical report) to confirm they are happy for the works to proceed. You may also need the support of a planner for restricted activities.
If a consent is not required or once it is granted, you may then undertake the works to remediate your land. The geotechnical and structural engineers should be consulted during the development to ensure the design is being followed and construction is suitable. The council often require this as a condition of the consent with the engineers providing sign-off once the construction is complete.
Need any help with your landslip? Let us know and we can deliver you a cost-effective and speedy remediation.
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