Geology

Proper design during construction projects can eliminate the potential for increased mass wasting. Human activities such as undercutting the base of the slope, adding weight to the upper part of the slope by building large structures, removing vegetation, and saturating the ground with water increase the risks of mass wasting. Engineering solutions include barriers and retaining walls, drainage pipes, terracing the slope to reduce the steepness of the cuts, and immediate revegetation. Rockfalls can be controlled or eliminated by the use of rock bolts, cables, and screens and by cutting back slopes to lesser gradients.