Emergency
Manawatu Gorge Slip Repair
Project Overview: Bulk earthworks to remove slip 300m above the Manawatu Gorge. Extremely steep site, required experienced operators. Establishment of track at the top of the slip required an excavator to be held by a 25 tonne winch dozer with 44,000kg winch. As soon as the machinery was past the first bench it was on site for the duration of the contract. This meant all servicing and maintenance was carried out on the slip face which sometimes required parts and maintenance staff to be flown in. Operators accessed site by a steep access track with rope to hold on to Slip started 300m above the road below.
Earthworks
Clear vegetation at top of slip and cut track into natural bench
Create benches to design, materials sent down a chute and re-handled at the base of the slip
250,000m3 off the face of the slip and re-handled at the base to cart offsite
Very large rocks encountered and ‘let go’ over edge in controlled manner
Excavators used to excavate and dump materials for the bulldozers to push down the slip
