WorldWide Drilling Resource

a catastrophic collapse is not currently likely, stabilization efforts taking place are a short-term, emergency fix and therefore will not offer a lasting solu- tion. In the meantime, more than 200 workers are engaged in the emergency project. Spotters with hand-powered air horns track workers entering “emer- gency areas” and are also in touch with them by radio. Workers have designat- ed safety zones and escape plans in place. No injuries have occurred thus far. New technology is being tested at the site by Colorado State University (CSU) in coordination with Wally Ulrich and the geologists of Jackson Hole. CSU is installing GPS equipment to record ground movement. This data will be sent to the university as well as geologists and engineers at the jobsite. 26 SEPTEMBER 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Drilling to Find Answers About Wyoming Landslide Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Dri l l rigs are coming to town in Jackson, Wyoming, where a landslide looms over homes and businesses. The landslide was slow-moving for 17 days, then began to shift more quickly. It split a home in two, broke a sewer l ine, and cut off access for workers monitoring and attempting to contain the slide. The shifting hillside and resulting rockfall forced workers to stop building a buttress on the erupting toe of the slide. Instead, they began rearranging L-shaped concrete walls for construc- tion of an emergency road. Heavy drilling equipment headed up the hill to bore at least 200 feet into the earth along the upper crest. The goal is to counter the collapse which was first noticed in April. Test cores will determine rock and soil characteristics along with water content, and will also gain a more pre- cise measure of ground movement at different depths. Core samples could go a long way in the effort to find out why the landslide is occurring. George Machan of Lands l ide Technology, a geotechnical firm provid- ing landslide evaluation and mitigation service, said although the slide had slowed significantly amid efforts to reinforce the bottom of the butte with six million pounds of concrete and other materials, it could be short lived. Though Workers attempt to slow the landslide. Photo by Rebecca Huntington, courtesy of wyomingpublicmedia.org Want to include your ad in WWDR ’s special November safety issue? Deadlines: Space Reservation - September 25 th Display & Classified Ad Copy - October 1 st