How to fix mountain washout

[Jrasband]

I've got about 400 feet of bank that needs stabilizing and was thinking of using gabions.
May I ask why you went with hog ring versus Gabion Spirals Binders (helicals) for attaching?

I did not even look into the gabion spirals. It looks like it may be a little more expensive but not having to buy the hog ring gun would offset that.

 

[newbury]

I did not even look into the gabion spirals. It looks like it may be a little more expensive but not having to buy the hog ring gun would offset that.

I'm wondering about the difficulty of twirling the spiral on versus manually using a plier type clamper. What gauge rings do you normally use?

 

[Jrasband]

I'm wondering about the difficulty of twirling the spiral on versus manually using a plier type clamper. What gauge rings do you normally use?

Those spirals go on pretty swiftly. I have used them before for connecting cattle panels for livestock fencing. The Hog rings go on real quick too, once you get the hang of using the tool. You have to kneel down to put the c rings on the lower areas of the cage.

One thought I just had... if you are building the cages in place and have excavated the soil to build a level pad for the cages, the spirals might be difficult to install. For instance, the spiral on the bottom of the cage connecting it to the sides.

11 gauge hog rings is what I used, 1 on every square (so one every 4 inches).

 

[deezler]

Never heard of a gabion cage. Looked it up and I'm familiar, just never knew the name. Similar to hesco barriers we used overseas.

There's about a 100-150' drop-off before I'd be anywhere close to a spot where I could put one in. I like the idea, but not sure how I'd implement it with such a long and steep drop.

Nah nah nah. Back up there with your backhoe, and scoop out a flat bottom hole in the native soil underneath this problem area, then you could drop in a cage and fill it up. If you get back down to the native soil on the trailside, it should have plenty of bearing capacity and stability.

 

[Jrasband]

Yeah, the grade does not look so steep that you can't make a 2' flat spot below the trail/road.

 

[MACflyer]

Nah nah nah. Back up there with your backhoe, and scoop out a flat bottom hole in the native soil underneath this problem area, then you could drop in a cage and fill it up. If you get back down to the native soil on the trailside, it should have plenty of bearing capacity and stability.

I think if I had a much larger machine, that would be the best solution. I just went sliding down the embankment to try to better capture it. The trail is too narrow to have my tractor perpendicular, but even being too close to the edge to have an outrigger down I can't reach any native soil. The dirt the bucket is near is just loose fill from the failed initial bulwark.

 

[airbiscuit]

When I went elk hunting in Washington state, I was impressed with their mountain roads. the roads were canted into the side of the mountain, and they had water bars (basically speed bumps at a diagonal) also angled into the side of the mountain, and a shallow, rock filled ditch on the inside edge of the road. Every so often there would be a culvert to discharge the water off to the side,

It was counterintuitive to me that they directed the water inward, but it worked. There is lots of information on the Internet about building mountain roads. In any case, I think you need redirect the flow of water at that location.

 

[airbiscuit]

I started digging water bars. Unfortunately I think I would need a full sized excavator in order to dig a pocket like that. It's just too narrow and steep.

The water bars I saw, were raised above the roadbed (like a speed bump) not a depression.

 

[deezler]

I think if I had a much larger machine, that would be the best solution. I just went sliding down the embankment to try to better capture it. The trail is too narrow to have my tractor perpendicular, but even being too close to the edge to have an outrigger down I can't reach any native soil. The dirt the bucket is near is just loose fill from the failed initial bulwark.

Ok those pics are helpful, definitely very steep and a narrow trail already. My intuition would be to excavate lightly on the outside edge of where you already have substantial trail width loss and build back up with boulders or gabion cages, etc. Then you'll be driving over top of this repaired area. Its more of a anchor for the main trail bed than a wall to build outside the dirt trail bed.

 

[John_Mc]

The water bars I saw, were raised above the roadbed (like a speed bump) not a depression.

Around here, they are both: dig out the water bar, and pile it up on the downhill side.