Slope Engineering
Nature Reserve, Essex
Investigation of a shallow rotational
slip at a nature reserve on a former quarry site. Boreholes were drilled
in the failed area, and slip indicators and data loggers installed for
monitoring movement and groundwater conditions. The site was successfully
remediated with 7m soil nailing, installation of ‘covermats’ and
a tree-planting scheme. 
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Castle Embankment, Kent
Slippage had occurred on a 6 to 9m
high embankment comprised of made ground sands and clays that was topped
by the remains of the outer castle wall and a footpath. Boreholes with slip
indicators and DPL testing carried out. Remedial proposals included soil nailing
or re-grading the slope together with gabion walls under the footpath. read
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Slope Investigation, South London
The site, located in southeast London,
comprised a 5-storey block of flats. Significant movement had occurred
to the property on its eastern flank wall, which overlooked sloping gardens
and areas that were overgrown and vegetated with trees. Southern Testing
designed and undertook a ground investigation to assess the likely causes
of the foundation movements and to provide recommendations for remedial
measures to the building. read
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Basingstoke Canal, Hampshire and Surrey
Southern Testing have recently completed a detailed cutting stability risk assessment along a 14km stretch of the Basingstoke Canal through Hampshire and Surrey for Hampshire County Council on behalf of Basingstoke Canal Authority (BCA). Access was often restricted and much work on the non-towpath side of the canal was conducted from a barge. The assessment was completed in less than 14 days and will serve as a principal inspection with the results being collated by Hampshire Borough Council to produce a risk register.
East Grinstead, West Sussex
The site comprises a Victorian road cutting, approximately 8m deep into the weathered Ardingly Sandstone. A shallow slope failure followed by sporadic “spalling” of loose debris onto the road occurred on the 50º - 70º side slopes following removal of dense vegetation. Southern Testing were commissioned, on an urgent basis, to investigate the slope and provide outline remedial measures.
Rock Face Stability, Upper Beeding
The site comprises a chalk quarry located near Upper Beeding, within the South Downs, West Sussex, and extends over an area covering c. 0.6ha. Activity within the quarry had been minimal over recent years, but proposals had been made to increase its yield. Southern Testing were requested to undertake a survey of the existing chalk walls and slopes to ascertain the risks associated with slope and face instability, and to recommend remedial action where necessary.
The site work comprised field mapping which included a discontinuity survey and the production of a geomorphological ‘hazard’ map. Information recorded on the hazard map included slope and face angle, areas that were infilled with lose chalk backfill, chalk bedrock, geological features, weathered profile, faults, and evidence of recent activity, e.g. areas of recent rock fall, loose chalk lumps on the face etc. The information obtained from the discontinuity survey was used to undertake stereonet analysis to determine the risk of toppling, planar, circular, and wedge modes of failure.
Reservoir Embankment Investigation & Stabilisation
The 600m long and 100m wide embankment
is situated on a reservoir, in southern England
and stands at a gradient of between 5-14°. A walkover survey and
mapping exercise identified many features that were indicative of slope
instability, notably lateral ridges and tension cracks. The most well-defined
were located in the centre of the bank where the gradient was steepest,
and tied in with the instability identified from historic aerial photographs. read
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