Background

This £2.5 million project to undertake essential slope stabilisation and improvement work to Canford Cliffs, Poole was deemed necessary following a landslip in 2017 and close monitoring by local councils identified further instability in July 2020. The work is taking place on a 30m high, 200m long section of the cliff located in a popular tourist and residential area over a 9 month period.

Scope of Works

The cliff stabilisation scheme involves the drilling of over 1600 steel soil nails, up to 15 metres deep into the cliff face, along with 50+ drains drilled into the slope. A high tensile, stainless steel netting and erosion control matting system will then be installed over the entire slope.

Solution

The specialist 16m CAT 321 Zero Tail long reach excavator was selected to install the lower row soil nails with a drill mast attachment as the long reach allowed movement between boreholes more efficiently than a slope mounted drill rig, offering programme savings. Due to the constrained coastal location of these works the Zero Tail option on this long reach machine was also essential for access and operation on this site.