Over the past two years, Fulton Hogan has delivered at least 10 new retaining walls across Banks Peninsula under the Christchurch City Council’s maintenance contract, responding rapidly to slips and weather events that threatened road access for residents and visitors.

What We Did
Working closely with CCC, our team developed and refined a fast-track Design and Build process to ensure that each retaining wall solution was tailored to the unique challenges of its site. When a slip or failure was reported, we immediately undertook site surveys and geotechnical investigations, then developed and presented a range of design options for each location. These options were ranked for cost, disruption, resilience, environmental impact, safety, and property considerations, with the preferred solution agreed in partnership with CCC.

Once approved, our engineers completed detailed designs and certification, and construction commenced without delay. Throughout the process, construction monitoring and certification ensured quality and compliance at every stage.

Types of Walls Delivered
Depending on the site, we constructed a variety of wall types, including: – Gabion walls (e.g., Long Bay Road, Little Akaloa Road) – Anchored shotcrete walls (e.g., Le Bons Bay Road) – Interlocking concrete block walls – Timber retaining walls – Reinforced earth walls – Earth anchor walls with mesh

Project Benefits
This approach enabled us to restore road access quickly and cost-effectively, reducing the duration of temporary traffic management and minimising disruption for road users and residents. Our collaborative process with CCC ensured that each solution was robust, resilient, and sympathetic to the local environment.

Quality and Collaboration
All works were delivered using pre-qualified subcontractors and specialist consultants, with full design and construction certification. External monitoring and quality assurance were integral throughout, giving CCC confidence in the durability and compliance of every wall.

Fulton Hogan is proud to have played a key role in maintaining safe and reliable access across Banks Peninsula, working in partnership with Christchurch City Council and the local community.