CHAPTER 21 Environmentally Friendly Slope Stabilization Using a Soil Nail and Root System in Canada Myint Win Bo 1 , Mike Fabius 1 , Arul Arulrajah 2 , Suksun Horpibulsuk 2,3 1 DST Consulting Engineers Inc., Thunder Bay ON, Canada 2 Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia 3 Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand 21.1 INTRODUCTION There are generally two main types of slopes in which geotechnical engi- neers are interested—natural slopes and man-made slopes. Whereas the for- mer is formed due to geological and geomorphological processes in nature, the latter is formed by human activity usually during the process of construc- tion or waste disposal. Man-made slopes may be in the form of either ele- vated fills or excavated depressions. Major geotechnical issues encountered in the stabilization of both natural and man-made slopes include gradual and often continuing displacements, sudden slope mass failure, and hydraulic upheaval. Because they are designed by professional engineers with an advanced and improved understanding of soil and rock mechanics, geotech- nical engineering, and mechanics of slope stability, man-made slopes can be created to stand safely at virtually any required gradient. Similarly, natural slopes can be made safe without compromising the environment or aes- thetics. For example, even at locations with severe space constraints, slopes can be designed to achieve any acceptable factor of safety (FOS) by intro- ducing a suitable form of reinforcement or supports. Even slopes that were adequately stable at one time may require stabiliz- ing as a result of changes to slope geometry, soil or rock strength, loading conditions, or environmental conditions. Such changes, usually unplanned, to many natural and man-made slopes that formed years ago have led to eco- nomic losses, aesthetic losses, losses of infrastructure constructed near the slopes, losses to the ecosystem, and loss of lives. This chapter discusses several such case histories of existing natural and man-made slopes and how these have been stabilized in Ontario, Canada. 629 Chemical, Electrokinetic, Thermal, and Bioengineering Methods © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100191-2.00021-6 All rights reserved.