Geotechnical Slope Stabilisation

The Abseil Access team specialises in using rope access systems for stabilisation work on hazardous and difficult-to-access sites. Our team’s comprehensive knowledge of materials and techniques allows us to design the best and most cost-effective solution for any situation, regardless of the geological environment.

Working with local and national government transport bodies is when we come into our own, having completed projects on some of the most dangerous sections of highway throughout New Zealand.

These include the Manawatu Gorge, the Otira Viaduct and Gorge, Nevis Bluff, Rocks Road, and the Lindis Pass Highway. Abseil Access is also a preferred contractor for Kiwirail and has stabilised escarpments, cuttings, and tunnel portals nationwide.

Our team are at home in New Zealand’s national parks and have performed geotechnical work on the Hooker Valley Track in Mount Cook National Park and the access track to Westland’s Fox Glacier.

Scaling and Block Removal

Our Drill & Blast team has 20 years of experience removing, shaping, and re-profiling countless rock faces nationwide. As scaling work is an often vital part of most geotechnical projects, our safety systems and risk analysis procedures have been internally perfected over decades to mitigate the risk of hazardous environments. In situations where wildlife may be at risk, we can work with our conservation team to minimise the impact and relocate animals if necessary.

We are specialists in micro-blasting and use exact amounts of explosives to produce accurate fragmentation and minimal fly rock. When this needs to occur over a road or accessway, we have people and traffic management procedures that can be implemented to mitigate the impact on the public.

Our services include:

Hand and Rope Scaling
‘Airbag’ Jacking
Expanding Cement Grouts
Removal of Unstable Rock Features and Cliffs using High Explosives under EPA Class 1.1 and Nonex (Low Explosives) under EPA class 1.4.
Public Safety Management
Environmental Management
Clearing and Disposing of the Blast Debris

Drill and Anchor

Anchored slope stabilisation is the backbone of Abseil Access’ geotechnical arsenal. Our knowledge of rock types and sites allows us to select machinery and resources to complete the project safely and efficiently. Our fleet of hydraulic and pneumatically powered drill rigs can be adapted to run at ground level, in restricted areas, and to work in high-altitude environments.

We also can assist clients and consultancies with design and construction advice to complete external projects. In addition, Abseil Access can provide Geotechnical CPEng design services from resource consent to practical completion. This excludes the requirement for an external consultancy – saving in cost and time.

When employing our services, our engineering team will conduct an initial site investigation to analyse the area comprehensively and then design a strategic anchor pattern to make the rockface as stable as possible. Our geotechnical site crews will use various access and drilling methods to create a stable borehole with the desired diameter and length.

Once the holes are filled with cement, our team will insert and cap the anchor with an anchor block. Rock anchors can keep a rockface secure for decades when combined with other slope stabilisation techniques. We can secure even the most inaccessible location with our expertise in rope access.

Drill and anchor rope access specialists.

Our drill and anchor services include:

Cost-effective Methods for Securing and Stabilising Slopes
Installation of Soil Nail Bars in Soft and Unstable Ground
Increasing the Strength of the Slope with the Install of Hollow Self-drilling Anchor Bars Using High-pressure Grout
Installation of Glass Fibre Solid Bar From 25mm Through to 40mm Diameter
Installation of Single-Strand Steel Tendons from 16mm to 40mm Diameter
Installation of Cable Strand Anchors

Active Rockfall Mesh

Abseil Access deploys rockfall mesh as the primary method to minimise and control the impact of falling debris. Drape mesh systems can be deployed in various locations, including behind houses, above roads, and along railway tracks. Our team can deploy this affordable, durable slope stabilisation system using various specialist access methods, including rope access, scaffolding, or helicopter.

We work with leading suppliers to offer a comprehensive product range so you can choose a system that will suit your physical characteristics, needs and requirements.

We install active and passive wire mesh systems, including GeoFabrics PVC-coated double twist mesh, MacMatR, HEA panels, and PVC coated cable-reinforced HR netting.

In the rare situations when a rockfall mesh is not a viable option, our geotechnical team can install catch fences, barriers and attenuators to suit your situation.

Our rockfall mesh installation services include:

Installation of Geobrugg High Tensile Tecco and Deltax Mesh
Installation of Maccaferri Geofabrics PVC Galmac Double Twist, HR30 Cable Reinforced Mesh and MacMatR
Actively Pinned Rockfall Mesh
Rockfall Control Drapes and Attenuation Chutes
Rockfall Catch Fences from 100kJ to 8000kJ
Debris Flow Fences

Shotcrete & Soil Nail

Abseil Access’s geotechnical team can use various shotcrete solutions to mitigate erosion and stabilise unreachable rock formations. The critical advantage of shotcrete is that it can be used in inaccessible areas, including sheer vertical or overhead surfaces where other concrete substances can not.

Once the shotcrete dries, our team can further reinforce the rock formation using a combination of steel rods, steel mesh or fibres.