Colliers Gauging Station, Penshurst, Kent – UK

Project Overview

At an ultrasonic gauging station along the River Medway, a remedial slope reinforcement and soil retention solution was required following the erosion of vegetation and soil slips. Sheet piling lined either side of the 8m stretch of river, rising to a height of approximately 1.6m above the riverbed. The sloping embankment extended to a 2.6m vertical height from the crest of the sheet piling at a 40^o angle.

Solution

Following 3 anchor suitability tests, Platipus Percussion Driven Earth Anchors (PDEA^®) were specified alongside turf reinforcement matting to prevent further erosion and potential failure of the slope. A total of 30 aluminium bronze BAT anchors with stainless steel accessories for each bank were installed in 4 rows, at 1.1m staggered spacing to a depth of 4m, to create an Anchored Reinforced Grid Solution (ARGS^®) with a permanent 120-year design life. This design ensured the slope stability and maintained intimate contact of the geosynthetic material to the slope surface, preventing surface washout from occurring and promoting revegetation of the slope, returning an aesthetic and biodiverse finish to this rural location in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).