Following verification of the soil nails, a dedicated construction crew transitioned to wall construction. This phase included subgrade testing, reinforced footing beams, and erecting scaffolding for access. Shotcrete application occurred in layers, with the initial layer serving as a robust slope protection layer. Special measures were taken to protect soil nails from bonding with shotcrete.

​

The walls were designed using a lightweight construction method to minimise the completed weight on the slip. To achieve this, polystyrene blocks were to be cut and placed to fill the core of the retaining wall, which would have created significant waste. Hunter Civil proposed an alternate lightweight method, using spray foam, similar to residential & commercial spray insulation. This achieved the desired outcome the designers were after and as this was a sprayed product there was zero waste. Additional testing had to be completed on this product to ensure it met the engineering requirements.

​

Following the lightweight void filling, reinforcing steel installation took place, followed by a final shotcreting layer, to complete the retaining wall face and to allow the securing of soil nail anchor heads. The project concluded with road reinstatement and installation of site railings.

During the recent fire emergencies, the team had to act swiftly to reinstate access for emergency vehicles and vacate site. Despite this delay, the team were ahead of programme and in the completion stages of the first wall.