Braun Intertec observed the instability of a well pad access road in Mountrail County, North Dakota. The geotechnical recommendations included several borings, installation of two inclinometers to better define the location of the failure plane, laboratory testing, and coordination with the clients civil designer and potential repair contractors.

Based on our findings, the roadway fill placed to construct the road was creeping down the slope along its point of contact with the native soil and underlying bedrock. The client required a repair option that maintained access to the pad during the repair. 

Our team identified several options that did not include complete reconstruction of the embankment fill and restricted access to the toe of the slope. The options we evaluated included the use of a soldier pile wall, large reaction anchors, or soil nails. The ultimate repair recommendation involved installing soil nails through the embankment fill and flattening the cut slope above the area of instability.