Asheville, NC – BLE conducted an assessment of a landslide affecting the northern shoulder of Sweeten Creek Industrial Park Road, where approximately 50 feet of roadway had broken away near the GE Aviation property entrance. Initial subsurface exploration included five test borings with Standard Penetration Testing; however, three borings were limited to five feet due to boulder-laden soil conditions, constraining data collection.
BLE leveraged existing topographic information to determine that the boulder-laden soils were low-density fill and that embankment instability resulted from saturation caused by sheet flow and nearby pipe discharge. When the client deemed the initial soil-nail wall design too costly and required an emergency remedial solution, BLE adapted its approach to balance cost and practicality.
The revised design incorporated Tecco® Mesh, pre-stressed soil anchors, and anchor top plates to reinforce slope stability. Following consultation with a reinforced slope practitioner, this solution was confirmed as feasible, effective, and within budget. Despite challenges including limited boring data, scope changes, budget constraints, and compressed timeline, BLE successfully delivered a practical design that met the client’s immediate needs while maintaining long-term stability.