Engineering and structural methods for stabilizing slopes can be grouped into four

categories:

1) Excavation and filling techniques

This would include excavating the toe of an earth flow until successive failures result in a
stable slope, removing and replacing failed material with lighter, more stable material, or
recompacted debris, excavating to unload upper portions of a mass failure, and filling to
load the lower portions of a mass failure (most likely in conjunction with other loading or
restraining structures).

Reinforcing the ‘toe’

If the ‘toe’ or the base of the slope is weak, it can be reinforced with rock or more earth.
This increases resistance forces and hinders earth or rock from moving towards the base
of the slope, hence improving stability. If the toe were higher on the slope, ‘filling’ or
buttressing the toe would result in the overloading of soil, causing a landslide down the
slope of the fill. Broken rock instead of soil is preferable for this task, because it has a
greater frictional resistance to shear forces and is also free draining, which reduces the
problem of impeding ground-water flow.
 2) Improving surface and subsurface drainage

Water plays a main role in triggering landslides, thus when water cannot rise to the
surface of the slope, stability of the land is increased. Covering ground with impermeable
membranes may aid initially in minimising water infiltration into the land mass. Water
gathered in this process, together will water from already existing underwater streams,
can then be redirected away from areas using a lines drainage ditch or sewer pipes.

Diversion of water should be done is such a way so that landslides are not initialed in the
process. For example, water that is gathered from the surface or underwater streams
should be deposited well away (around several kilometers) away from the landslide-prone
area.

Diversion of drainage reduces ground-water levels and minimizes the possibility of

erosion, which can cause landslides.
 3) Retaining walls: Several types of retaining walls exist; timber cribs and gabion
walls are amongst the most common.
Timber cribs:

Timber cribs consist of interlocking logs forming box-like structures. The purpose of these
cribs is to intersect sliding surfaces and to prevent any of the material from the landslide
from reaching beyond. They must, therefore, be built robustly into the ground (preferably
to a firm layer of rock in the slope). However, this method is only effective in withstanding
relatively small volumes of soil and earth and are most useful when thin layers of soil
overlies a deeper, more stable layer
Gabion walls:

In the case of large slopes where piles may not be sufficient, gabion walls are used to
increase stability. These are box-like structures fabricated from wire mesh, holding
cobble-sized rock. Their simple structure and low cost make them highly useful and
effective creations. Gabion walls work because the friction between the individual gabion
rows is very high, as is the friction between the basal row and the soil underneath.

4) Piles:

Piles are metal beams (should not be made from wood because they can rot and are not
as robust as metal) driven into the soil, extending into a firm rock layer below the
landslide. Extra support, given by tiebacks (rods attached to a firm rock layer in the slope)
and buttressing beams (beams placed at an angle downslope from the piles), may be
necessary to hold the piles in place. These are only suitable for establishment if the
amount of soil to be stabilised is small.
5) Minimising rock fall

Rock fall can be extremely harmful, especially if human residences are nearby.

Benches:

One of the most effective means of protection against rock fall is benches. These are
simply horizontal parts of land cut into deep soil usually located under rock fall-prone
cliffs, built to diminish tension in the surface rock. Vertical bench-face angles should be
avoided, since tension crack and rock overhang can occur. A minimum width of 4 m is
recommended for the benches, and all benches should have drainage ditches to divert
water away from the slope.
 5) Multiple benching of cut slope to prevent landslides by unloading, by providing
catchment areas for debris and by surface drainage.

Inclined benches are used here to provide roadways for construction and maintenance
equipment.

6) Prevention of landslides by flattening cut slopes.

 7) Mesh curtains, catch nets and catch ditches:

These three are often used in conjunction with each other. Mesh curtains can be installed
onto a rock face to prevent the dislodgment of rocks. Gathered rock is then directed into
a catch net (nets made from wire mesh which are suspended by cables).Once caught
in the catch nets, the rocks are then deposited into the catch ditches.

Catch ditches must be designed with the topography taken into consideration. The bottom
of the catchment ditch should also be covered with loose earth to prevent falling rock from
breaking into pieces.

8) Miscellaneous techniques

Grouting can be used to reduce soil permeability, thereby preventing the ingress of
groundwater into a failure zone. Chemical stabilization, generally in the form of ion
exchange methods, is accomplished by high-pressure injection of specific ion exchange
solutions into failure zones or into closely spaced pre-drilled holes throughout the
movement zone. Heating or baking of clay soils can sometimes improve their strength,
and, rarely, freezing of soils will help gain temporary stability. Localized electro-osmosis
can be used to form in situ anchors or tiebacks. Suppression of natural electro-osmosis
can be used to reduce unfavorable groundwater pressures. Blasting is sometimes used
to disrupt failure surfaces and to improve drainage.