The environmental sustainability of electrokinetic geosynthetic strengthened slopes Available to Purchase

Failures of cut and embankment slopes are common and expected to increase. Conventional repair techniques include acquiring additional land, reducing the slope angle, installing drainage improvements, soil nailing and/or providing structural support. All of these methods have technical limitations and most cause considerable environmental disturbance. However, new stabilisation options that are more effective and economical than traditional approaches are becoming available, one of which is electrokinetic geosynthetic treatment of failing or failed slopes. The benefits of electrokinetic geosynthetic treatment in terms of engineering sustainability include reduced cost, reduced ‘carbon dioxide footprint’, fewer heavy goods vehicle movements, zero waste removal, minimal material import, reduced noise and vibrations, improved air quality, preservation of the seed bank and soil environment, minimal vegetation clearance with almost all trees being retained, no visual impacts, no disruption to passing motorists and less damage to root protection areas. Protection of the habitat is also beneficial to nesting birds, amphibians, dormice and reptiles. The paper provides a brief description of the electrokinetic geosynthetic treatment method and illustrates the engineering sustainability with two case histories.