A typical slope stabilisation project requiring excavation, soil nails, reinforcing mesh and a sprayed concrete facing should not pose any real issue for a specialist contractor involved in this form of civil engineering, with the only real expected issues being unknown ground conditions, time constraints and adverse weather conditions.

This proved to be the case on this particular contract, and is an example of how things should progress efficiently, and not a description of overcoming adverse conditions and unexpected site issues, as in other typical case studies.

Ground conditions were better than originally expected which facilitated for more than one berm to be excavated safely at one time which shorted the works programme. Once the loose material at the crest of the excavation was faced in shotcrete, the ground conditions below proved to be more compact and stable during subsequent excavation, and over-break was kept to a minimum.

The use of our remotely controlled concrete pumps and robotic shotcrete machines (which don’t get tired or need a tea break) kept the planned sequence of’;- Excavation – Drilling of soil nails – Steel fixing and draining system – Shotcrete facing and curing maintained the smooth and efficient progression of the works.

Client representatives, designers and engineers, main contractor and all material suppliers work in total co-operation and the works were completed within the expected works programme.