Soil Nailing
2017
Borough Green, Kent
H & H Celcon
CAN Geotechnical Ltd
PBA Peter Brett Associates
Ightam Sands Quarry
The top of the netting fastened by nailing into the soil structure
Preparing the netting along the rock face
A long distance view of the project
Securely nailed into the structure
Close up of the netting around an existing tree
Problem
A significant slip occurred on this old quarried face overlooking the H+H manufacturing site. Concerns were raised that there was a high likelihood of further slips occurring on this now loose and destabilised slope. Given the approaching onset of the winter months and wet weather, further concerns were raised about the risks of destabilising the slope further by stripping the entire face of vegetation before the works took place.
Solution
The solution was to undertake the work in vertical strips to help alleviate the aforementioned risk. This however did create difficulties in setting out, as this would normally be done across the whole slope in one go, ensuring a neat and precise layout of the soil nails. The steep and high face required a combination of approaches, utilising drill booms attached to long-reach excavators and A-frame rigs for the upper reaches of the slope.
All works had to be carried out working alongside a local ecologist as the site had the potential to be home to newts, dormice and bats. CAN successfully stabilise the slope allowing normal operations to return to the site. The 959 soil nails were neatly and uniformly laid out, with Maccaferri polymeric-coated DT rock fall netting and MacMat® erosion control matting.