Signal Hill Landslide

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. (BCD) was retained by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to provide geotechnical engineering services related to the investigation, design, and construction of the slide stabilization system at the Signal Hill landslide on U.S. Highway 61 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. BCD recommended a ground anchor/buried anchor block stabilization system to accommodate a number of constraints at the project site. More common methods of slide stabilization were rejected because of cost and conflicts with site constraints. Use of the ground anchor/buried anchor block stabilization system allowed the design and construction to be completed in a relatively short time frame, did not require the acquisition of additional right-of-way, avoided impact of nearby high pressure gas lines, and was the most economical method to achieve the desired increase in factor of safety. The ground anchor/buried anchor block system is a unique and cost-effective method for slide stabilization. It can be used in areas where limited right-of-way and/or topography preclude the use of conventional stabilization methods and in cases where stabilization forces need to be evenly distributed over large areas. BCD’s recommended use of ground anchors/buried anchor blocks successfully stabilized the Signal Hill landslide on U.S. Highway 61 and allowed it to be restored to its original configuration with no visible evidence of the stabilization system. Hayward Baker Inc. was the contractor for this project.