Results
Retaining wall strengthened and road safely reinstated to two-lane operation.
Anchors installed and tested beyond engineered requirements.
Innovative handling and installation methods mitigated program-critical risks.
A resilient solution delivered for one of New Zealand’s most challenging highway corridors.
Project
Solution
Construction of a piled retaining wall with 18.5m Freyssinet bar anchors.
Transition from temporary to permanent 180mm casings up to 10.5m deep.
Extensive pre-grouting and re-drilling to pass water testing before anchor installation.
Use of flowable fill and bentonite slurry to address large voids.
Onsite anchor fabrication and curing, with installation by crane-suspended cradles to prevent cracking.
Anchors tested to 913kN before lock-off and capping beam construction.
Project
Challenges
Post-earthquake damage requiring urgent strengthening of a key transport link.
Constrained coastal site with cliffs on one side and sea on the other.
Significant grout loss during drilling in fractured rock and fill.
Long anchor lengths requiring specialised handling, fabrication, and curing.
Program-critical risks and delays needing proactive mitigation.
Project
Overview
Following the 2016 Kaikōura Earthquake, sections of SH1 north of Kaikōura required realignment and strengthening, including the Blue Duck retaining wall. Located on a narrow coastal corridor between steep cliffs and the sea, the only feasible solution was the construction of a piled retaining wall with anchors to stabilise fractured rock and fill beneath the road.
Geovert delivered design input, anchor fabrication, and construction under challenging ground and program conditions, enabling the safe reinstatement of two-lane traffic.