Slope stabilization involves direct action on a slope or hillside that presents stability problems. It is a set of techniques and measures used to prevent the collapse or detachment of land, rocks, or vegetative material on slopes or hillsides. Its goal is to maintain the structural integrity of these inclined surfaces and reduce the risk of slides.
To stabilize a slope, various techniques or integral solutions can be employed, such as the installation of high-performance membranes, sprayed concrete, or reinforced double-twist mesh, among other systems. The choice of the suitable solution depends on the specific characteristics of the slope and the instability problems.
The benefits of slope stabilization include reducing the risk of landslides and slides, protecting infrastructure and ensuring the safety of people near the slopes. It can also contribute to environmental conservation by preventing soil erosion.
Preventing rockfalls involves identifying areas at risk, studying the existing issues, designing, planning, implementing, and executing the most appropriate solutions for each situation of falling material hazards.
There are a variety of techniques to apply according to each terrain and need for both stabilization and protection, thus avoiding possible rockfalls or reducing their impact and controlling them.
Rockfall protection measures are essential in areas at risk of falling rocks, avalanches, or landslides, such as mountainous zones, roads on steep slopes, and sites near quarries or land cuts. These systems act as a physical barrier to conduct or intercept the detachment or slide.
Erosion control measures are necessary in areas prone to soil erosion, such as degraded slopes, riverbanks, areas affected by wildfires, and construction sites, where we find cohesive materials and direct exposure to weather effects, mainly rain and run-off water.
To achieve slope revegetation, we find several techniques such as hydroseeding, hydro-blanket, organic blanket, or green walls for slope stabilization.
These solutions are fundamental for the preservation of lands and also improve the sustainability and resilience of natural environments against environmental challenges.
Erosion control helps preserve the environment by preventing soil degradation, water body sedimentation, and biodiversity loss. It also reduces water pollution and maintains the ecosystem quality.
Slope scaling is an essential process of slope conditioning, or by itself, a solution for the rockfall prevention.
This technique is applied in situations where there is a risk of detachments and scaling is necessary to provoke controlled detachments of the most unstable blocks.
There are various techniques for scaling, such as manual scaling by specialized professionals with levers, hydraulic jacks or demolition hammers and scaling with airbags or pneumatic cushions.
Each technique is selected and adapted according to the specific characteristics of the soil and the project requirements.
Shotcrete is a mix composed of water, aggregate, cement, and additives that is projected at high speed onto surfaces to create a resistant coating layer. It is used in slope stabilization, tunnels, and other structures to achieve a resistant, durable protection with high impermeability.
In construction and projects, they are often called interchangeably, but initially, the process of projecting mortar was patented with the name of Shotcrete. Later, coarse aggregate was added, and it began to be called sprayed concrete.
Thus, shotcrete typically refers to the mix with a maximum aggregate of 8 mm and when it contains an aggregate of a larger diameter we refer to it as sprayed concrete.
We find several solutions that are suitable for each fall hazard situation, such as:
Dynamic rockfall barriers are structures designed to stop or redirect the energy of a rockfall.
The energy ranges of the barriers go from 250 kJ to 10,000 KJ and the height ranges from 2.5 to 10 meters.
These screens absorb the kinetic energy of the detaching masses, through the deformation of the barrier itself and the energy dissipators, allowing for an effective containment of the detached rocks, minimizing the risk of damage to infrastructures and people.
Geomat with double-twist mesh is a solution that integrates a three-dimensional polymeric mat with the reinforcement of a double-twist mesh.
This comprehensive solution is applied in actions where a combination of erosion protection and surface stabilization of the slope is required. These systems can also be combined with a revegetation solution, such as hydroseeding, to achieve greater landscape integration and promote biodiversity.
