Slope protection with an earth retaining system: respectful of natural resources and the landscape

Abstract

Heavy rains in June 2018 damaged a road between Echternach and Berdorf (Luxembourg) so severely that it had to be closed. The river along the road below it destroyed the existing stabilisation structures, such as retaining walls and gabion walls, and severely eroded the natural slope covering the underlying Luxembourger Sandstone. Water infiltrated the embankment, causing landslides extending in several places to below the body of the roadway. After clarifying the geological situation and determining the geotechnical parameters of the materials, renovation was carried out using natural materials present on the site, which were used to recreate load-bearing structures reinforced by geogrids and adapted to the landscape in topographically very difficult conditions. From a sustainability standpoint, landslide materials and locally excavated materials were reused in a resource-saving manner.

Keywords

• geotechnics