OasisLMS

Abstract:

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic flooding across the southeastern United States, resulting in severe damage roadways, bridges, homes and businesses; specifically, extensive damage to Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge along the North Carolina-Tennessee border.  Record rainfall caused the Pigeon River to rise more than 30 feet, triggering embankment erosion, slope failures, and complete roadway washouts along this critical corridor serving Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Events of this scale underscore the need for experienced emergency response teams capable of rapidly assessing instability, developing practical designs, and executing stabilization under extreme conditions. 

GeoStabilization International (GSI) specializes in emergency landslide response and slope stabilization, providing integrated design-build solutions to restore infrastructure after natural disasters. When slope failures threaten public safety and disrupt mobility, GSI deploys engineering and construction teams for rapid mobilization, field assessment, and immediate implementation. These projects often involve limited access, steep and unstable terrain, environmental constraints, active traffic, and ongoing weather impacts—conditions that demand adaptable engineering, specialized equipment, and close coordination with transportation agencies. 

GSI’s emergency stabilization approach prioritizes constructability, flexibility, and safety. Crews utilize limited-access and long-reach drilling equipment, crane-supported operations, and rope-access techniques to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Designs are refined in real time based on subsurface conditions and field observations, allowing solutions to evolve as site conditions change. This integration of engineering and construction accelerates delivery while maintaining high safety and quality standards. 

This presentation highlights these principles through a case study of Hurricane Helene’s impact on I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge. GSI partnered with state agencies and contractors to design and construct more than 140,000 square feet of soil nail wall stabilization on a compressed schedule, supporting partial reopening of the corridor and restoring critical regional connectivity.