Slope Stabilization Services
Slope erosion usually begins so slowly that you might not notice anything at first. The early warning signs are often subtle:
- Rocks and pebbles tumbling down the hill
- Trees and shrubs that lean ever so slightly
- Loose soil that slowly cascades and pools
- Hairline cracks in walls or foundations
With each new rainfall, however, the problem gets worse. If you ignore these early warning signs long enough, you’ll eventually be dealing with falling trees, uncontrolled landslides, and complete slope failure.
Slope Failure Is Not An Isolated Event
In the areas we service, slope erosion is incredibly common:
- Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas all have soil varieties that are highly conducive to slope failure.
- These states deal with powerful and erratic rainfall — a problem that will only get worse with global warming.
- They also increasingly suffer from seismic tremors, often due to fracking and excavation.
If you’ve already noticed the early warning signs of slope erosion, you’re not alone. At Foundation Repair Services, we continue to receive new reports daily from homeowners and businesses throughout the Southeast.
Fortunately, providing residential slope stabilization in Charlotte as well as Asheville is one of our many core specialties. We also serve the rest of North Carolina as well as South Carolina.
Slope Erosion: Correction and Prevention
At Foundation Repair Services, we offer a broad range of slope stabilization methods, including:
- TECCO® Mesh
- Rock Drape
- Shotcrete Facing
- Anchored Soldier Pile Walls
Moreover, we possess unique knowledge of local soil conditions and weather patterns. Because slope creep is a highly region-specific problem, the stabilization methods used must be properly tailored to address the underlying causes. Slope stabilization strategies that work well in the Northwest won’t necessarily produce the same results when implemented in the Southeast.
This is why choosing a local slope stabilization expert is so crucial.
Of course, the most effective way to correct slope erosion is to prevent the problem from occurring in the first place. To learn how to protect your home before early warning signs appear, continue reading.
And if you suspect that your slope has already begun to erode, jump straight to Slope Stabilization Methods to learn how we can help.
Understanding Our Slope Stabilization Methods
TECCO® Mesh
The TECCO® high-tensile mesh system is one of the best steep slope stabilization methods for protecting homes and buildings. TECCO® boulder netting provides a flexible alternative to concrete and shotcrete barriers. The TECCO® steel wire mesh adapts to the topography, preventing rockslides and deformations. Fast installation means less worrying for you and quicker protection for your home. The high-tensile mesh is practically invisible once vegetation grows around it. And compared to shotcrete, the TECCO® slope stabilizer has a significantly lower CO2 footprint.
Rock Drape
Protecting your home from rockfall is a challenge for homeowners in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Carolina Piedmont and the Great Smoky Mountains. A high-tensile steel mesh rock drape can help control rock movement. Our slope technicians anchor the rock drape to the top of the slope. Cable anchor securely fastens the drape. Loose rock is trapped behind the drape, rather than barreling down the slope and gaining momentum as it hurtles toward your house. The loose rock trapped by the drape slides down to the bottom of the slope, keeping your house out of harm’s way.
Shotcrete Facing
Rockfall prevention is often the best defense against rockfall damage to homes. In some cases, shotcrete facing can be applied as a temporary protection of exposed rock surfaces. Shotcrete can also be used to permanently cover slopes to prevent erosion or deterioration. Fiber-reinforced shotcrete provides enhanced slope protection.
Anchored Soldier Pile Walls
Soldier piles and lagging walls stabilize slopes and prevent catastrophic damage using vertical steel piles and horizontal lagging. The steel piles are driven or drilled into the earth at regular intervals. Wood, steel or concrete panels are inserted, forming an effective wall barrier against slope failure, falling rocks and other slope debris.
Soldier pile walls are also used for temporary and permanent excavation shoring. When making an excavation adjacent to an existing structure or roadway, an anchored soldier pile wall can be installed to secure the existing structure and protect those working in the excavation below. Depending on the depth of the excavation and the soil characteristics, sometimes a cantilevered soldier pile wall can be installed, which basically means there are no tiebacks required, i.e., the soldier piles are embedded deep enough below the bottom of the excavation to support the soil above without the need for tiebacks.