Bank Stabilisation
Stonbury was recently contracted to complete bank stabilisation works to a section of riverbank in the South of England. The scope of works also included the removal and disposal of Himalayan balsam and other native vegetation.
Initial works involved vegetation clearance from both sides of the channel, opening up the area to create a larger working space. A sandbag cofferdam and pump were then installed to drain down and over pump the working area. Finally, silt was removed from the channel and preparation works for the new gabion baskets began.
Gabion baskets were fitted along the left bank, with two layers of reinforcement wire between each gabion to prevent the baskets from bulging. The baskets were then filled with stone, and once complete, works began on a second tier. All the baskets forming the top tier were tied to the bottom row for stability.
Once complete, a layer of geotextile was used to line behind and on top of the baskets for additional stabilisation and filtration. The team then backfilled the area with soil and began re-shaping the bank back to its original state.
To complete the works, the topsoil was raked, and grass seeded, and the pump and sandbags were removed. Prior to demobilisation, all machinery and equipment were thoroughly washed down within the site compound to avoid any spreading of the Himalayan balsam.
