Got slope stability works coming up? Our cranes can be of help

01/01/2022

Our team has plenty of experience in putting our cranes to work on slope stability and slope safety projects in New South Wales. Here’s a brief overview of some common slope stabilisation techniques and how our cranes and equipment can help to implement them.

What is slope stabilisation?

Whether they’re natural or man-made, slopes don’t always stay perfectly in place. Slopes built from rocks or dirt are inherently predisposed to shift and move, and while that kind of movement takes a while to get going, it can snowball very quickly once it’s in motion.

Slope stabilisation is the process of assessing a slope for potential movement or displacement, and then acting to both restore the slope to its previous condition and prevent future movement where possible - therefore ensuring slope safety.

What are some common slope stabilisation techniques?

There are a handful of commonly utilised techniques for addressing and mitigating slope movement in order to improve slope safety. The appropriateness of these individual methods will depend on what the slope is made of and what’s causing it to move, however implementing one or several of these measures is likely to improve overall slope stability.

This range of potential solutions includes:

Water drainage

The presence of excess water can put increased internal pressure on the materials comprising the slope. 

Draining this water can help to mediate material slippage and improve overall stability.

Support stabilisation

A slope can also be stabilised with the aid of physical supports like rock bolts, anchor points, and retaining walls.

Soil stabilisation

Naturally occurring slopes composed primarily of dirt and soil can be stabilised in a number of different ways. 

These include mechanical processes (material compaction; preliminary water drainage; material mixing) and chemical processes (applying materials like fly ash, lime, or concrete).

Material removal

If the problem stems from the slope having a loose top layer composed of dirt or earth, this material can be easily removed and replaced with either a static material like concrete or nets designed to immobilise the slope’s new top layer.

How can our cranes help?

We’ve got a wealth of experience when it comes to slope stabilisation - we’ve been working on rail projects for over 30 years now, and have completed slope stabilisation works all around New South Wales.

Our most commonly used slope stabilisation techniques include retaining wall/vibro stone column construction, soil replacement, geocell installation, and planting vegetation on top of a temporary erosion control mat.

These techniques have served us well on a wide range of slope stabilisation projects around the Sydney region and New South Wales. When combined with our experience, professionalism, and knack for problem solving, they’re a recipe for slope stabilisation success.

New South Wales’ slope safety experts

Slope stability is crucial to the ongoing safety of many of our roads and rail systems, as well as the people that use them. The Hi-Range team is well-positioned to handle these jobs and deliver outstanding outcomes, because of our extensive knowledge and experience when it comes to slope stabilisation techniques. If you’re in need of a reliable slope stabilisation contractor, get in touch with Hi-Range Crane Forks today.