Project Overview
As expansion took place at this Mercedes-Benz dealership, it became necessary to increase the space available for vehicle storage. To achieve this an existing stream needed to be diverted through a new cut channel. To maximise land-use the channel was cut as close to the site boundary as possible. A solution would then be required to maintain the channels stability, while preventing erosion and facilitating revegetation of the channel sides. Several challenges were encountered on site that complicated works, namely access to only one side of the channel, presence of water in the channel, and a lack of space beyond the crest for an anchor trench.
Solution
Access to only one side of the channel was overcome by using a tracked excavator with long-arm reach where possible. Where the span of the excavation could not be crossed the team used a handheld breaker working off scaffolding. The channel was dammed and pumped, removing 500mm of stagnant water and allowing safe access. Lastly, the lack of space beyond the crest of the slope was overcome by driving 192 Platipus S2 anchors vertically behind the crest to pin the geosynthetic material at the top of the slope, ensuring a tight profile near affected surface areas. A further 460 Platipus S6 anchors were driven to a depth of 3m across the length of the channel at 1.2m horizontal centres, further ensuring close contact of the geosynthetic material to the slope face. The decision was taken not to specifically seed the slope, as wind-blown seeds from nearby plants meant vegetation soon returned.d
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