Zestaphoni - Khasuri railway line, Georgia

Project objectives

Consultancy services for the independent review of the design for the stabilisation of Zvare landslide.

Project description

Georgian Railway JSC modernised the railway line between Tbilisi and Makhinjauri Station. The project area was located in Central Georgia within the Transcaucasian region, between two major thrust faults in a NNWSSE compression regime, making the entire region highly affected by tectonic faulting and folding. In the project area, an ancient, inactive landslide had been reactivated due to excavation works. In May 2017, earthworks triggered a landslide with a depth of 30-40 m and a total volume of approx. 1.5 million m³, leading to an immediate halt of construction activities. To stabilise the slope, 1 million m³ of soil was removed in accordance with the remediation concept.

Project data

• Total sliding volume: 1,460,000 m³
• Depth of slide: 30-40 m
• Length of railway line affected: 250 m

Services

• Site visit, geological and geotechnical appraisal
• 3D modelling of the sliding mass
• Back analysis and slope stability calculations
• Design review of the contractor’s remedial design