When a portion of the slope between the newly reconstructed Carter Road and the Cuyahoga River failed, the City of Cleveland called upon SME to mobilize one of our drill rigs, determine the cause of the slide, and provide the Carter Road Slope Stabilizations.

Prior to drilling, our team reviewed all of the soils borings that the City had in the project area and then supplemented them with two additional borings, one of which was drilled and cored into shale bedrock. This information, SME’s sophisticated laboratory testing and geotechnical engineering analysis, and SME’s intimate knowledge of the Cleveland geology and slope stability evaluations indicated that erosion of the riverbank caused a weak layer of varved lacustrine soil near the bottom of the river. With this knowledge, the Carter Road slope stabilizations could begin.

SME worked with the project team to evaluate, design, and develop a budget for retaining wall designs that could be used to stabilize the slope. The results were presented to all of the local shareholders in the area who could be impacted by the slopes instability. Currently, the city is exploring funding options with SME’s guidance.