Ville de Québec took quick action to resolve the urgent erosion problem, because it was threatening public infrastructure assets such as the bicycle path, urban furnishings including streetlamps, parking zones and Boulevard Champlain itself over a distance of 650 m. The erosion was also causing the gradual disappearance of shrubs and trees within the urban green space. The scale of the problem required urgent completion of slope stabilization work.
The team was mandated to conduct studies and propose riverbank stabilization scenarios, and to recommend the optimal solution based on technical, environmental and economic considerations. The team also processed the inspection data, verified the reliability of the data on-site and provided work supervision during Phase 1.
Considering the urgency of the riverbank stabilization, the project was executed in two phases. The first phase involved stabilizing a 180 m-long zone by constructing a protective riprap comprising rocks of various sizes. The second phase involved protecting an additional 160 m.
Methods were developed to create natural vegetation facilities using a variety of plants native to the region and suited to the riparian environment.