Resultados
Rockfall attenuator constructed safely in a high-risk earthquake slip zone.
SH1 successfully reopened with reduced rockfall risk to road users.
Construction delivered to program despite challenging conditions.
Long-term resilience provided for a critical national transport corridor.
Solución del proyecto
Sluicing and scaling to clear loose debris from the slip face.
Helicopter-assisted meshing of the head scarp to allow safe team access.
Crane-supported drilling from lower-risk zones to construct foundations.
Installation of a 120m long, 4m high 2000kJ rockfall attenuator with 30m drape.
Safety-first methodology ensuring controlled construction despite extreme terrain.
Desafíos del proyecto
Large slip above SH1 with head scarp 200–250m high and unstable boulders.
Hazardous, unconsolidated soils and newly exposed rock in a high-risk zone.
Requirement to deliver works quickly to meet road reopening dates.
Restricted access for plant and drilling equipment.
Descripción general del proyecto
A major slip triggered by the 2016 Kaikōura Earthquake closed SH1 south of Kaikōura, with debris funnelling through a 90m-wide chute towards the highway. After extensive sluicing and scaling, a 2000kJ rockfall attenuator system was designed and constructed 30m above the road on newly exposed bedrock.
The works combined helicopter meshing of the head scarp, crane-supported drilling, and controlled construction methods to deliver a 120m long, 4m high attenuator with a 30m drape, ensuring highway protection and safe reopening.