Residential Slope Repair
During the winter of 2004, California experienced unusually heavy rain triggering several landslides in the Malibu area. D.J. Scheffler was contacted by geologists and engineers to assist in the emergency remediation of a particular landslide which had placed the owner’s guest house, swimming pool and a neighboring property down slope in immediate danger.
The landslide had displaced approximately 40,000 to 45,000 sq ft of land involving approximately 30,000 cubic yards of debris. The scarp (top or vertical portion of the landslide) measured approximately 12 to 18 feet in height and was continuing to migrate laterally and further upslope when D.J. Scheffler arrived on site. The toe (bottom) of the landslide was piled 3 to 5' against the rear wall of the house, covering their backyard, patio, and in some areas, the windows.
D.J. Scheffler, under the guidance of geologists and engineers, immediately began the remediation process. Fourteen steel beam type shoring piles and lagging were installed just behind the scarp to isolate the jeopardized guest house and swimming pool from the moving slope. Once the guest house was protected, 20 more steel beams were installed at the owners property line (about the middle of the slide) to stabilize that portion of the landslide. Immediately thereafter an additional 14 steel beams were installed at the top of the slope adjacent to the original 14 beams.
The guest house and swimming pool were saved, and no permanent damage was done to the neighboring residential structure. The slide debris has since been removed and replaced with a buttress fill-slope which actually added usable flat space to the property. While the property owner considers himself the recipient of some bad luck, he now lives on one of the most stable hillsides in Malibu.
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