HKIE Geotechnical Division &

School of Professional Development in Construction

Top-up Course for TCP T3 on GIFW and Building Works with

Significant Geotechnical Content

Slope Engineering
Ir. Joanne Ko
Associate Director, Fugro (Hong Kong) Ltd
(15 April 2024)
 Topics to cover
1. Background - Slope Engineering in Hong Kong
2. Design Considerations
3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrains)
4. Construction Supervision
5. Landscaping
 Topic 1 - Background

Slope Engineering in Hong Kong

 1. Back Ground - Slope Engineering in Hong Kong

• New man-made slopes (i.e. cut slopes, retaining walls and fill
slopes) for new developments/roads. They are slopes
formed (to be formed) to the current safety standards;
• Existing man-made slopes, which were formed prior to
establishment of Geotechnical Control Office in July 1977
(renamed as Geotechnical Engineering Office in 1991). They
are slopes designed to the old standards needing upgrading
to the current standards; and
• Natural hillsides/terrains. Those close to developments may
need landslide risk mitigation.
1. Background - What Cause a Man-made Slope to Fail?

Po Shan Road landslide on

18 June 1972
67 people were killed
A building was knocked
down

CEDD : Source [http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/photovideo_gallery]

• Heavy rainfall
• Complex geology
• Inadequate support to excavation

CEDD : Source [ SPR 16/92]

 1. Background - What Cause a Man-made Slope to Fail?
Sau Mau Ping landslide
on 18 June 1972
Destroyed 78 squatter huts
Killed 71 people
Fei Tsui Road on
13 August 1995

• Heavy rainfall
• Poorly compacted loose fill slope
• Liquefaction/flowslide of loose fill
caused by surface infiltration

Sau Mau Ping landslide

on 25 August 1976
Buried ground floor of Block 9
Killed 18 people CEDD : Source [http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/photovideo_gallery]
1. Background - What Cause a Man-made Slope to Fail?

Kwun Lung Lau landslide on 23 July

1994 causing 5 fatalities

Leaky underground water pipe

9 m high masonry retaining wall but

only 750 mm in thickness

• Leakage of drainage pipe

• Masonry wall constructed without
adequate geotechnical input

CEDD : Source [http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/photovideo_gallery]

 1. Background - What Cause a Man-made Slope to Fail?
Fei Tsui Road on 13 August 1995
One pedestrian was killed
• Presence of a weak soil layer, and
• Increase in groundwater pressure following the
prolonged heavy rainfall.

Shum Wan Road landslide on 13 August 1995

Killed two people and damaged 3 shipyards
• Presence of weak layers
• Ingress of water during prolonged rainfall
• Water overflow from blocked drainage
CEDD : Source [http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/photovideo_gallery]
 1. Background - What Caused a Man-made Slope to Fail?
Sai Sha Road landslide in June 1998
• Presence of weak layers
• Infiltration of water
during prolonged rainfall

Source [GEO Report No. 111]

1. Background - What Caused a Man-made Slope to Fail ?
Lee On Road washout in May 2013
• Inadequate site drainage during
(Sau Mau Ping)
construction
• Water overflow onto fill slope

Source : Fugro (Hong Kong) Ltd. in 2013

1. Background - What Caused a Man-made Slope to Fail ?

Reinforced Earth Retaining

Wall Failure
in May 2013
at Sau Mau Ping

Source : Fugro (Hong Kong) Ltd. in 2013

1. Background - What Caused a Man-made Slope to Fail ?
Pa Mei, Tung Chung Failure
in October 2021

South Lantau Road Failure

in June 2021

Source : Fugro (Hong Kong) Ltd. in 2021

1. Background - What Caused a Man-made Slope to Fail ?

Huge Landslide with

rockfall at Yiu Tung Estate
on 8 September 2023

Source : Fugro (Hong Kong) Ltd. in 2023

1. Background - Typical Causes of Man-made Slope Failures

• Heavy rainfall/heavy surface runoff/high surface

infiltration (most landslides were triggered by rainfalls)
• Prolonged leakage from water-carrying services (e.g.
Kwun Lung Lau).
• Poor design/construction (e.g. Po Shan Road/Sau
Mau Ping/Kwun Lung Lau)
• Local weaknesses (e.g. Sai Sha Road/Fei Tsui
Road/Shum Wan Road)
 1. Background - Slope Management in Hong Kong

1.0 New Man-made Slopes

To be checked/approved by Geotechnical Engineering Office
• Government projects - via the project departments.
• Private projects – centralize processing via the Buildings
Department.

2.0 Existing Man-made Slopes

Government slopes – being upgraded under LPM/LPMit
Programmes by GEO / maintenance departments.
Private slopes – to be investigated/upgraded by private
owners via the issue of Dangerous Hillside Orders or
Advisory Letters under the Buildings Ordinance.
 1. Background - Slope Management in Hong Kong

In the past 60 years, more than 470 people have been killed by failures of man-made slopes
1. Background - Local Geotechnical Publications
Geotechnical Manual for Slopes
Geoguides
Geoguide 2 – Guide to Site Investigation
Geoguide 3 – Guide to Rock and Soil Descriptions
Geoguide 5 – Guide to Slope Maintenance
Geoguide 7 – Guide to Soil Nail Design and Construction
Geospecs
Geospec 3 – Model Specification for Soil Testing
Hong Kong Geological Survey Maps
Geotechnical Area Studies Programme
GEO Reports/Publications
GEO Technical Circulars / GEO Technical Guidance Notes
BD’s Practice Notes for AP, RSE & RGE
(Some can be downloaded from CEDD and BD’s websites)
 1. Background - Registered Slopes in Hong Kong

Registered Man-made Slopes

> 60,000

Registered Historical
Landslide Catchments
around 3,100 (2016)
 1. Background - Registration of Slopes/Retaining Walls

• Cut Slopes and/or retaining walls denoted by “C”, “CR” or “R”:

Registration Criterion:
Height > 3 m
• Fill Slopes and associated retaining walls denoted by “F” or “FR”:
Registration Criteria:
1. Height > 5 m, Gradient > 15° and Fill thickness > 1m.
2. H<5m and its Consequence to Life (CTL) category = 1 or 2
• Disturbed Terrain denoted by “DT”: (not used a few years ago)
Registration Criteria:
1. Natural hillside with gradient >15°with clusters of C, CR, R, F and FR
features which are not individually registrable.
2. Repairs to landslip scars.
1. Background - Registration of Slopes/Retaining Walls

• Natural Hillside Stabilisation measures denoted by “NS”:

Stabilisation measures constructed on natural hillsides to prevent

failure, e.g. boulder buttresses, soil nails and raking drains.

• Natural Hillside Defence measures denoted by “ND”:

Defence measures to contain

landslide debris and hence protect
buildings and infrastructure at the
toe in case of landslide or boulder
fall from the natural terrain above,
e.g. check-dams, earth bunds and
boulder fences.
 1. Background - Sources of Information

• Civil Engineering and Development Department’s Website

(http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/index.htm)
• CEDD’s Hong Kong Slope Safety Website (http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/index.htm)
• Geotechnical Information Infrastructure
(https://www.geomap.cedd.gov.hk/GINFOINT2/)
• Lands Department’s Slope Maintenance Responsibility Information System
(http://www.slope.landsd.gov.hk/smris/index.html)
• Buildings Department’s Website (http://www.bd.gov.hk/english/index_e.html)
• CEDD’s Geotechnical Information Unit
• BD’s Building Information Centre
• Building Records Access and Viewing On-line (BRAVO) (http://bravo.bd.gov.hk)
• Utility Companies / Water Supplies Department / Drainage Services Department
• Records kept by Private Owners
1. Background – Slope Information System
(SIS)
GI Locations
Existing GI
Stations
1. Background – Slope Information System
(SIS)

Slope location

Slope number

Consequence to life

Basic information
1. Background – Slope Information System
(SIS)

Slope location

Record Photos
 1. Background – Slope Information System
(SIS)

Slope location
Drainages

Slope information

Detailed Information – such as drainages, vegetation covers

1. Background – Slope Information System
(SIS)

Study Reports
1. Background - Slope Maintenance Responsibility
Information System (SMRIS)

(http://www.slope.landsd.gov.hk/smris/index.html)
 Topics to cover
1. Background - Slope Engineering in Hong Kong
2. Design Considerations
3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrains)
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
5. Landscaping
 2. Design Considerations

Key information to be collected for slope design

a) Topography / Slope Profile
b) Geological Profile / Degree of Weathering of Rock
c) Groundwater Level and Response to Rainfall
d) Adverse Geological Features (e.g. Weak layers, Soil Pipes)
e) Surcharge / Effects from Adjoining Foundations
f) Stabilization Measures
 2. Design Considerations

(i) Overall Consideration

• Desk study on background information
• Site (walk over) inspection
• Topographical survey
• Obtain existing and new Ground Investigation
 2. Design Considerations

(ii) Desk Study

⚫ Topographical maps and plans
⚫ Aerial photos (taken at different years), geological maps
and memoirs, past GI records, past landslide records
⚫ Past study reports
⚫ Meteorological, Hydrogeological information
⚫ Past records of construction activities
⚫ Utility services and tunnels
⚫ Lease and engineering conditions
 2. Design Considerations

(iii) Common GI works for Slope Design

• Drillholes
– from slope crest and terminated beyond slope toe
• Trial pits
– for shallow ground investigation, especially useful for investigating existing loose fill
slopes (collecting block samples and undertaking in-situ density tests)
• Surface Stripping
– stripped existing hard cover for confirmation / identification of underlying materials
• Rock Mapping
– where possible, inspection scaffolding be erected on existing rock slope surface for rock
joint mapping
• Undisturbed soil samples for laboratory testing
• Continuous soil/rock samples from drillholes for identifying adverse geological
features
• Ground Water Monitoring Device
– Piezometers (sometimes with bucket string or automatic loggers) installed inside
drillholes for monitoring of groundwater level.
 2. Design Considerations
(iii) A Typical Ground Investigation Plan
Proposed Drillhole • How many drillholes/
trial pits are enough?
• What field tests to be
carried out?
• What samples to be
taken?
• What lab tests to be
carried out and how
to specify the tests?
Proposed Corehole
• How many
piezometers to be
installed? At what
depth?
Proposed Trial Pit
 2. Design Considerations
(iv) Geotechnical Interpretation
Factual Information Design Information
Ground Investigation Geotechnical Interpretation

• Drillholes • Geological profile

• Trial pits • Groundwater conditions
• In situ tests (SPT, in situ density, • Characterization of soils/rocks
rock joint survey…) • Densities
• Laboratory tests (PSD, LL/PL, • Strength parameters (c’, ’, cu,
density, water content, triaxial UCS, joint friction)
compression, chemical, uniaxial • Deformation parameters (E, )
compression, rock joint friction,…)
• Permeability (k, kv/kh))
• Groundwater monitoring
• Aggressivity (resistivity, pH,
concentration of soluble sulphate
and chloride ion)

Direct measurement/Interpretation
 2. Design Considerations

(v) Site Formation Works/Slope Works

• Forming the site to the required

profile for sitting the proposed
development
• May consist of a combination of
a) Reprofiling - Cutting/Filling
b) Stabilisation measure e.g.
soil nails
c) Retaining walls
d) Surface drainage
e) Subsoil drainage
 2. Design Considerations
(vi) Slope Stability Analysis

• Soil cut/fill slope stability is usually analysed based on limit

equilibrium methods of analysis.
• Commercial computer programs are readily available (e.g. Slope/W,
Slide, Stabl, Galena, Gslope, etc).
• Numerical analysis using finite element/finite difference method
may be necessary to assess ground movement associated with the
works (e.g. Plaxis, Flac, etc).
• Apart from the stability requirements, fill slopes require adequate
compaction to prevent liquefaction failure.
• Rock slope stability requires detailed mapping of rock joints, and
the results are presented in stereoplot. Stability is to be checked
against plane, wedge or toppling failure modes. Detailed site
inspection needed to confirm treatment works locally.
 2. Design Considerations
(vii) Soil/fill Slopes - Limit Equilibrium Analysis
• Mostly based on method of slices (see Table 5.5
of Geotechnical Manual for Slopes)
• Methods differ by statics equation and
assumptions in inter-slice forces
• Janbu Rigorous method or Morgenstern & Price
method are commonly used
• Factor of Safety: Ratio of the average available
shear strength of soil along the critical slip
surface to that required for maintaining stability
• Recommended Factor of Safety against Failure
for New Cut Slopes for a Ten-year Return Period
Rainfall
Increase in Consequence-to-life
Consequence-to-life
Economic Consequence
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3

Increase in Category A 1.4 1.4 1.4

Economic
Category B 1.4 1.2 1.2
Consequence
Category C 1.4 1.2 >1.0
 2. Design Considerations
(vii) Soil Slopes - Typical Slope Stability Analysis
Shear Strength of
Soil Materials

Assume Potential Slips

Calculate FOS
(vii) Soil Slopes - Typical Slope Stability Analysis
Shear Strength of Soil Materials

Mohr-Coulomb Materials

Assume Potential Slips

Calculate FOS
(Ratio of available
shear resistance to
that required for
equilibrium)
Design Groundwater Table
 2. Design Considerations
(vii) Soil Slopes - Soil Nails (Slope Upgrading Works)

Supporting force
provided by soil nail in
the resistant zone
 2. Design Considerations
(vii) Soil Slopes - Soil Nails Design Principles

(Extracted from Geoguide 7)

Allowable Tensile Capacity TT of soil nail: Allowable Pullout Resistance TSG provided by soil-
TT = fy A’/FT grout bond:
fy = characteristic yield strength of soil-nail reinforcement TSG = (c’PL + 2Dv’L)/FSG
A’ = effective cross-sectional area of soil nail reinforcement
P = perimeter of soil nail
FT = Factor of safety against tensile failure of soil-nail
c’ = effective cohesion of soil
reinforcement
L = bond length of soil nail in passive zone
D = diameter of soil nail
v’ = effective vertical stress
 = coefficient of apparent cohesion (= tanf’)
FSG = Factor of safety against pull-out failure at soil-grout interface
 2. Design Considerations
(vii) Soil Slopes - Key Components of Soil Nails
Components:
• Soil nail reinforcement
• Cement grout
• Centralizer
• Coupler
• Heat shrinkable sleeve
• Corrugated plastic
sheathing
• Nail head
• Copper Wire for TDR
 2. Design Considerations
(viii) Fill Slope

(Extracted from GEO Report No. 96)

Triggers and Contributory Factors of Fill Slope Failure

Failure modes:
• Shearing failure along a sliding surface
• Surface washout
• Liquefaction of loose soil with collapse of soil structure
 2. Design Considerations
(viii) Fill Slope

Travel angle
Small scale and low mobility

Large scale and high mobility

Debris Mobility for Different Mechanism and Scale of Fill Slope Failures in Hong Kong

(Extracted from GEO Report No. 96)

 2. Design Considerations
(viii) Fill Slope - Improvement by Re-compaction

Top 3 m of loose fill recompacted

to 95% relative density

Filter layer

Source : CEDD Standard Drawings

 2. Design Considerations
(viii) Fill Slope - Improvement by soil nailing
Applicability
• Relative compaction of fill > 75%
• No significant sign of distress, history of
movement, heavy seepage, nor weak zone
• Not located in an old valley where
groundwater level may be high due to Design recommendations
subsurface water flow or leakage from water-
• Adopt the steady state undrained shear
carrying services
strength as the shear strength for the fill.
• Soil nails to be bonded to competent
subsurface stratum.
• Nail spacing not more than 2m
horizontal and 1.5m vertical.
• Provide grillage beams to link nail heads.

(Extracted from HKIE’s study report on “Soil Nails in

Loose Fill Slopes ”

Source : Housing Department’s website

 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Formation
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Failure Modes

Controlling Factors
• Orientation of rock joint system
• The topography
• Strength of the rock joint
• Water pressure at the rock joint
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Rock Joint Mapping

Geological compass measuring

dip angle and dip direction of a
rock joint
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Rock Joint Mapping

Chainage 0 Chainage 8 Chainage 12

 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Rock Joint Mapping
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope – Stereoplot for kinematic analysis
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Stereoplot

Joint set 2 - failure is

kinematically possible

Daylighting
envelop Wedge from joint sets
(where failure is 1 and 2 - failure is
kinematically kinematically possible
possible)
2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Failure Mode
Kinematically
possible
failure zones

Stable
zones
Source : Hoek & Bray – Rock Slope Engineering
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Stabilization Works

• Rock dowels
• Rock bolts and rock anchors
• Scaling
• Buttress walls
• Dentition
• Wire mesh
• Shotcrete
• Raking drains
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Stabilization Works
Overhanging
rock face Indented rock face

Dentition

Concrete Buttress Rock Dowel

(Extracted from GEO Report No. 161)

 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Stabilization Works
Concrete buttress wall
being constructed

Concrete buttress wall

Completed
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Stabilization Works

Indented rock
face (gap)

Dentition (gap filled

with cement-sand)
 2. Design Considerations
(ix) Rock Slope - Stabilization Works
Rock dowels being constructed Loose blocks trapped

Wire mesh
 Topics to cover
1. Background - Slope Engineering in Hong Kong
2. Design Considerations
3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural hillsides)
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
5. Landscaping
3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)

Channelised debris flow Open hillside landslide

CEDD : Source [http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/photovideo_gallery]

 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Natural Hillside Landslide at Pak Sha Wan – June 1998

Channelised
debris flow
at Pak Sha
Wan

CEDD : Source [ GEO Report No.108]

 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
2008 Channelised Debris Flow at Tung Chung (Yu Tung Road)

Video
 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Natural Hillside Landslide at HKU - 2008

Open Hillside
Failure at HKU

CEDD : Source [http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/photovideo_gallery]

 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Rock/Boulder Fall Hazards

1995 boulder fall Loose boulders

at Tuen Mun Road on natural terrain
 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Rigid Debris-resisting Barriers

Rigid barriers CEDD : Source [http://hkss.cedd.gov.hk/hkss/eng/photovideo_gallery]

 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Flexible Protective Barriers

(By Geobrugg) (By Geobrugg)

(By Geobrugg)
Flexible Barriers Lantau Island, HK
3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Flexible Protective Barriers at Tsing Shan
3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Flexible Barrier in Japan

Before
rock avalanche

After
rock avalanche

Source : Product Brochure of Geobrugg

 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Typical Layout of Flexible Barriers
7. Upslope anchors into the hillside

E E
3. Upper ropes 6. Upslope retaining ropes

8. Rope brake elements

2. Principal net

5. Lateral ropes

4. Bottom ropes

1. Posts and foundations

 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Typical Layout of Flexible Barriers
Braking
ring

Upper rope

Intermediate
rope

Principal Net

Shackle

Bottom
rope

Source : Product Brochure of Geobrugg

 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Types of Principal Net

High-tensile Steel Wire Mesh

To be used as mesh element for barriers with lower impact energy absorption
capacity. Opening size of about 80 mm.

High-tensile Spiral Rope Net

To be used as mesh element for barriers with medium impact energy absorption
capacity

Ring Net
The rings are either 300 mm or 350 mm in diameter and are made of 3 mm-diameter
steel wire with a strength of at least 1770 N/mm2. Depending on the intended
energy absorption capacity, between 7 and 19 strands of wires are bundled in each
ring. High impact energy absorption up to about 8000 kJ.
Source : Product Brochure of Geobrugg
 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Types of Brake Element

Brake Ring
Brake rings are incorporated in the support and
border ropes to dissipate energy via plastic
deformation and friction, and to support rope from
overloading.

U-brake
U-brakes can be used for barriers with impact energy
absorption up to 3,000 kJ. They are mounted
laterally at the ends of the support ropes. The main
component of the U-brake is made from either a flat
steel bar, bent around a mandrel.

Source : Product Brochure of Geobrugg

 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Other Key Components
Support and Retaining Ropes
To transmit the forces occurring in the net over the posts to the
anchors. The retaining ropes hold the posts in position.

Shackles
To connect the ring net and the supporting rope, or to connect
pieces of ring nets together.

Wire Rope Clips

To fasten the free end of a rope to form a loop. It is important to use
right number of wire rope clips with the required torque values.
 3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Other Key Components
Wire rope clips

Anchor Head
The anchor head absorbs tension and
bending forces transmitted from the spiral
rope anchor. It is insusceptible to impact
and can be mounted to tie back nails or
anchors available in the market, A
concrete foundation is required for the
transition from the tie back nail to the Rope anchors
anchor head.

Source : Product Brochure of Geobrugg

3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)

Other Key Components

The Steel Post

Steel Posts are mounted on a base plate via a link. Their
function is to guide the ropes to which the mesh/net is
suspended. The associated guides are rounded to protect
these support ropes.

Source : Product Brochure of Geobrugg

3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)
Installation
In HK, working platform is
needed for working at height

Source : Product Brochure of Geobrugg

3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrain)

Maintenance Flexible barrier

Stairways for maintenance

 Topics to cover
1. Background - Slope Engineering in Hong Kong
2. Design Considerations
3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrains)
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
5. Landscaping
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Slope Supervision Requirements

For private constructions

 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)

Code of Practice for Site Supervision 2009

(a) Quality Supervision
Ensuring that the building works or street works are carried out in
general accordance with the provisions of the Buildings Ordinance and
Regulations and with the plans approved and any order made or
condition imposed.
Supervision Tasks:
(i) Checking that the works are carried out according to Buildings Ordinance
and Regulations;
(ii) Checking that the works are carried out according to plans approved by
the Building Authority and any order made or conditions imposed; and
(iii) Checking that the design assumptions agree with site conditions.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Code of Practice for Site Supervision 2009
(b) Site Safety Supervision

Controlling hazards from works to minimize risk to:

(i) The workers on site;
(ii) All persons around the sites; and
(iii) Adjoining buildings, structures and land.
Supervision Tasks:
(i) Monitoring that the site operations and working methods meet safety
standards set out in the Buildings Ordinance and codes of practice and
that unsafe practices are not being followed;
(ii) Checking that general and minor safety aspects of the building works or
street works are properly carried out;
(iii) Checking that work carried out on site complies with the approved,
accepted or submitted method statements and precautionary and
protective measures.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
2. Nail bar 5. Centralizer
7. Nail head
3. Coupler

6. Grouting of hole

1. Drilled hole 4. Heat shrinkable sleeve

 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
General
• Statutory requirements : PNAP APP-135
• Code of Practice for Site Supervision 2009 : Quality
Supervision for Soil Nailing Works
• Geoguide 7 – Guide to Soil Nail Design and Construction

Quality Supervision
• Registered Geotechnical Engineer (RGE) and his Technical
Competent Persons (TCP) T5 and T3
• Authorized Signatory (AS) of the Registered Contractor and
his TCP T4 and T1.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Quality Supervision (continue)

• TCP T3 of the RGE and TCP T1 of the Contractor should be
resident full-time on site during every stage of soil nailing
works.
• The Contractor is required to notify the TCP T3 before the
commencement of any stage of the works.
• The Contractor should prepare detailed inspection,
measurement and test records for each soil nail as per the
approved plan.
• Key records on quality supervision of soil nailing works
should be prepared and certified by the TCP T3.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Typical Items for Checklist of Specific Tasks for RGE’s TCP T3

 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
Records of Specific Tasks Performed by TCP under RGE Stream
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
Form B – Non-Conformity & Rectification Report
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
Key record of soil nailing works

Proforma form extracted from Appendix IX of the

Code of Practice for Site Supervision 2009
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Duties of RGE’s TCP T3

• Prepare and certify the Key records on Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
(pro forma from Appendix IX of the Code of Practice)
• Report to RGE’s TCP T5 concerning any anomalies during construction
• Check setting out positions
• Supervise drilling of soil nail holes
• Check assembly of soil nail reinforcement
• Supervise insertion of soil nail reinforcement
• Supervise preparation of grout
• Supervise grouting of soil nail hole
• Supervise construction of soil nail heads
• Supervise all pull-out tests
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

(Extracted from Code of Practice for Site Supervision 2009)

Setting-out
• Check whether any existing utilities, channels, trees, foundations, other structures or
proposed works would be affected.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Items to be checked on Drilling Works

• Drilling by percussive drilling rigs, sometimes hand held rotary coring
machine at space restricted site.
• Ensure diameter of drill bit compatible with the designed diameter of the
soil nail hole
• Instruct the contractor to remove any smaller drill bits off site immediately.
• Check control measures against dust, water, noise, etc.
• Check location, orientation and inclination – setting up of the drilling rod beCheck for Drilling
checked correctly. Generally alignment should not exceed 2 degrees.
• Check for flushing medium and hole collapse in particular for drilling under
Hole Drilling
water. Temporary casing and dewatering measures may be necessary.
• Drilling records for each nail to be prepared.
• Check diameter and depth of the hole upon completion of drilling.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Coupler and Centralizer Check Hole, Bar and Air Clean

Insert Nail Bar

Items to be checked on soil nail assembly and insertion
• Check threaded portions of steel bars are adequate for fixing the nut, couplers and bearing
plates.
• Check centralizers, grout pipes, conducting wire (for Non-destructive Testing) are fixed
securely onto steel bar.
• Check heat-shrinkable sleeves, corrugated plastic sheathing, washer and nut, bearing plate.
• If high groundwater exists, wait until water level drops or alternatively dewatering measures
have to be in place.
• Final check on the galvanizing quality of all steel components.
• Check diameter and length of steel bars before installation.
• Ensure no obstruction during installation of steel bars.
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
Items to be checked on grouting works
• Grout usually comprises ordinary Portland cement and water, with
admixtures. Water cement ratio usually 0.38 to 0.42.
• Water should be clean and uncontaminated. Grout Mix

• Soil nails should be grouted within the same day of insertion.

Grouting
• Mixers for grout shall be a high-speed colloidal type.
• Grouting commences from the lowest point and that grout is pumped into
the hole under a continuous and steady rate to prevent entrapping air. A
small head of grout shall be maintained above the mouth of drillhole until
initial set of grout.

• Excessive grout leak should be monitored to

verify validity of assumed geological model,
also to determine actions to be undertaken,
such as staged grouting, sleeving over grout
leak by using casing.
• Grouting records to be prepared.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
Grout Tests to be done
• Flow cone test to test grout’s fluidity. Normally 2 tests are undertaken per batch of mix.
Grout having an efflux time of <15 seconds should be rejected.
• Bleeding tests are also carried out following mixing of grout. Tests are done to test the
bleeding and absorption characteristics of grout. Criteria for bleeding tests are:
- bleeded water at 3 hours should be <0.5% by volume
- maximum bleeded water should be <1%
- water should be re-absorbed within 24 hours
• Compressive cube strengths of grout to the designed 28-day strength

Flow Cone Test Bleeding Test

4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Typical drilling and

Grouting records
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Items to be checked in constructing soil nail heads

• Check threads of reinforcement bar thoroughly cleaned and treated with hot-dip
galvanized coating or protected with zinc-rich paint.
• Check concrete thoroughly compacted.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Pull-out Test
General
• To verify pull out capacity of soil nails, i.e. design assumptions
• Undertaken prior to installation of permanent soil nails
• Tested nails will be abandoned and not to be used as permanent nails
• Designer to review test results and to revise length of soil nails accordingly

Preparing bars for pull-out

test

No grouting of hole before

packer
Packer
Grouting of hole after packer
Source : Geoguide 7
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
Pull-out Test - Equipment and Set-up
• Ensure all apparatus used have been calibrated
• Accuracy of pressure gauges and dial gauges be confirmed to required specifications, usually
having tolerances <2kN and <0.05mm respectively
• Bearing plate/concrete pad should be firmly cast on soil surface
• Jacking cylinder is positioned parallel to test bar and perpendicular to bearing plate/concrete
pad to ensure the soil nail is stressed in the right direction

Pull-out Test
(Source : Geoguide 7)
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Pull-out Test Procedure

• Normal test load should not in any case exceed
90% of ultimate tensile strength as sudden
failure would be dangerous to testing crew.
• All personnel should not be standing facing the
direction of the bar during stressing of the soil
nail bar.
• Check test loads at each loading/unloading cycle,
the time that each load is held constant,
deformations measured from the dial gauges. 3
loading/unloading cycles are required to bring
the soil nail to the required testing load.
• Record results accordingly.
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
Pull-out Test Result
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Non-destructive Testing
• Encourage high construction standards and promote self-imposed improvements.
• Use as a construction audit tool. Build up overall picture of the integrity of the installed soil
nails.
• Time Domain Reflectometry tests are usually undertaken. For detail procedures see GEO
Report No. 133 “Non-destructive Tests for Determining the Lengths of Installed Soil Nails” and
“Guidelines on Test Procedure & Sample Test Results using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)
to Determine the Length of Installed Soil Nails”.
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Supervision of Soil Nailing Works
Time Domain Reflectometry tests

Provision of a wire to determine

length of soil nail by TDR tests

TDR Test

(Extracted from GEO’s “Guidelines on Test Procedure using Time Domain

Reflectometry (TDR) to Determine the Length of Installed Soil Nails”)
4. Construction Supervision
(man-made slopes)

Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Results of TDR tests

4. Construction Supervision
(man-made slopes)

Supervision of Soil Nailing Works

Results of TDR tests

 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)

Formation of Soil Fill Slopes

• PNAP 55 (APP-15) : Site Formation Temporary or Permanent Filling Work
• PNAP 83 (APP-28) : Requirements for Qualified Supervision
• Disastrous consequence of flowslides of loosely placed earth fill resulting
from inadequate compaction
• RGE’s TCP T3 be full-time on
site
• Carry out day-to-day check
on compliance with working
procedures and
specifications
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)

Formation of Soil Fill Slopes

Top 3 m of loose fill recompacted
to 95% relative density

Benching for
placement of fill

(Extracted from CEDD Standard Drawings)

 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Formation of Soil Fill Slopes
• Soil filling cannot be adequately compacted during inclement weather,
rock fill works are better than soil fill works under wet conditions.
• Temporary protection of earthwork is required, such as covering by
tarpaulin cover
• Source of filling materials to be approved, usually CDG and CDV are
considered suitable materials
• QC tests on materials: PSD,
plastic index, etc
• Benching into the slopes is
required prior to receiving
new fill materials
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Formation of Soil Fill Slopes

• Thickness of each filling layer is commonly 250mm

to 300mm, depending on the output power of the
compaction plant.
• In-situ field dry densities of compacted fill shall
not be less than 95% of the maximum dry density
(Geospec 3: Model Specification for Soil Testing).
• All testing records must be kept on site.
• Monthly assessment report on the filling work
should be included in the monthly T5 Report .

Relative compaction
Rc = d/max x 100%

where
d is the in situ dry density and
max is the maximum dry density
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Formation of Soil Fill Slopes

Proctor test to determine

Maximum Dry Density

GEOSPEC Test
10.2
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Formation of Soil Fill Slopes
Determination of In situ Bulk and Dry Density

Sand
Replacement
Test

Sand poured into

hole to determine
volume of hole

Soil excavated from

hole to determine
mass
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)

Drainage Provision on Slopes

• Reference: Geotechnical Manual for Slopes, GEO
• Majority of slope failures are associated with drainage problems due to
intense rainfall during extreme weather
• Efficient and
adequate drainage Crest channel
provisions on slope
are therefore
absolutely essential

Overflow of water from drainage Channel

Poor Alignment of Drainage Channels

 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Drainage Provision on Slopes
• Drainages are provided as surface and/or sub surface measures
• Surface provisions are by means of surface channels
• Sub surface provisions are by means of horizontal or raking drains,
counterfort drains, filter drainage blankets, weepholes (behind retaining
walls or hard surfaces)

Underground
water being
discharged from
horizontal drains
or raking drains
 4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Ground Movement Monitoring

• Ground Settlement Check Points

• Inclinometers
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
Ground Water Monitoring

Dip meter

Automatic Groundwater
Level Logger
 Topics to cover
1. Background - Slope Engineering in Hong Kong
2. Design Considerations
3. Flexible Protective Barriers (natural terrains)
4. Construction Supervision (man-made slopes)
5. Landscaping
 5. Landscaping
Reference:
 5. Landscaping

• Green solution is preferred even on rock slopes.

 5. Landscaping
A few proprietary methods to provide greening on shotcrete cover.

NFY Soil Panel System

NFY Soil Panel System

Mulching Geofibre G&E Soil Panel System

 5. Landscaping

Cover Concrete nail heads Use of small diameter Use of bio-degradable

with planting soils hand-railing erosion control mat

Soil nails

Avoid interfering tree

Avoid causing damage to
growth
tree roots
The End