General erosion had worn away a steep canyon hillside below a home in Malibu. ADEI was brought in to stabilize the slope with a system of shear pins, a gradebeam, and tiebacks, working on a site with tight access and hazardous conditions.
The Challenge
The property sits on a steep canyon lot with almost no level ground for staging equipment. Access to the work area was limited, and staging area near the site added another constraint for the drill rig and crane.
The site also brought hazardous conditions from its natural setting. Crews worked through dense brush on the slope, and the local flora and fauna were a constant safety concern, including frequent encounters with rattlesnakes. Every phase of the work had to account for these conditions on top of the steep terrain.
ADEI’s Solution
ADEI staged its drilling equipment on the paved area above the slope and used a crane to reach across the hillside, getting the rig and materials into position without needing level ground on the slope itself.
Crews are installing shear pins, drilled piles that extend through the eroding slope material and resist movement. A gradebeam ties the tops of the shear pins together so they act as a single structure, and tiebacks anchor the system back into the hillside to hold it in place.
Project Status
Work is ongoing. When complete, the shear pin, gradebeam, and tieback system will stabilize the eroding slope below the home, holding the hillside in place against continued erosion on a site where access and conditions leave little margin for error.
Project Details
- Location: Malibu, CA
- Services: Slope stabilization
- Scope: Shear pins, gradebeam, tiebacks
- Status: In progress
