Controlled removal of loosened blocks, stones and soil masses on natural and cut slopes: rope access, mechanical scaling, barring down with bars and hooks, and controlled blasting where needed. Measurement and risk assessment come first, then scaling; permanent protection is a separate decision.
What it does
Slope scaling is the controlled removal of rock blocks, stones and soil masses that have loosened over time. The aim is to bring down what would fall now and to make the surface ready for a protection system to be installed. Scaling is not a permanent solution: weathering continues and new blocks loosen; whether permanent protection is needed is explained with criteria in this answer (Turkish).
Where
Road and railway cuts, around hydroelectric power plants and penstock lines, quarry and mine slopes, dam reservoir slopes, natural slopes close to settlements, slopes at industrial plants.
Methods
| Method | When |
|---|---|
| Manual scaling with rope access | Loose stones and small blocks on steep, hard-to-reach faces; with scaling bars, hooks and hand tools |
| Mechanical scaling | Where an excavator, crane or telehandler can reach; without blasting where possible |
| Barring down with bars and hooks | Controlled release of dangerous single blocks |
| Controlled blasting | Large masses that cannot be removed otherwise; with a blasting plan and vibration limits |
| Mapping with drone and laser scanning | Inventory of loose blocks before scaling; comparison afterwards |
Measurement first
Geomechanical properties of the rock units, discontinuity orientation and block size distribution, slope stability analysis (limit equilibrium; two- and three-dimensional models if needed) and rockfall simulation; size, weight and free-fall potential of the loose blocks. These measurements decide which block is taken down and what is protected below while it is done: road closure, traffic management, protective screen.
Safety and acceptance
A written health and safety plan before work, closure of the fall zone, the two-rope rule for rope access, vibration and flyrock control for blasting. At the end of the work a photographic comparison of the scaled surface and a list of the remaining risky blocks are handed over; the proposal for permanent protection is written in a separate report. Specification text: slope scaling specification (Turkish). For a quotation, contact.
