Unstable Slope Inventory Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
We are pleased to announce that Brian Banks’ paper “Unstable Slope Inventory along the Blue Ridge Parkway, NC,” has been published courtesy of the Highway Geology Symposium. This project was a Schnabel-led effort in collaboration with National Park Service (NPS), Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD), WSP, and Appalachian Landslide Consultants (ALC). The authors are Brian Banks (Schnabel), Jennifer Bauer (ALC), Majed Abdelhadi (EFLHD), and Timothy Ramey (WSP).
The Unstable Slope Management Program was used to rank the hazards and risks associated with unstable slopes along 102 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in western NC as part of a proactive geotechnical asset management strategy. This project was a first of its kind and entailed the evaluation of 1,290 slopes and the identification and ranking of 454 unstable slopes. This inventory is the first step for EFLHD and NPS to take a proactive approach in managing its portfolio of slope assets along the parkway, reduce the maintenance burden, and ultimately increase safety for park visitors.
This project was a first of its kind and entailed the evaluation of 1,290 slopes.