During a typical year, Oregon City experiences an average of 44 inches of precipitation. This amount of rainfall tends to saturate soils increasing the possibility of slope failures. In Fall of 2021, our client’s property experienced a small landslide. GEOMechanics was retained to perform a subsurface investigation, slope stability analysis, and provide recommendations.
The Solutions Unearthed
- The site was underlain by multiple strata varying in cohesion and shear resistance. Our firm provided a shear pile wall design that greatly increased slope stability factors of safety to values in accordance with industry standards. Additionally, the shear pile wall was designed to support a taller exposed height that takes into consideration possible slope failures at the bottom of the wall.
- Due to the many different strata at the site, runoff water constantly seeped into the crawlspace of the residence. We recommended temporary and permanent groundwater control measures.
- Following the construction of the shear pile wall, the client decided to construct a garden on the slope. We performed an analysis and concluded that our shear pile wall was capable of withstanding the additional 360,000lb. surcharge.
Client: Private Owner
