Building on a SLOPE? Caveats- WHY Slopes Fail

Asheville Real Estate Journal:
Asheville Area Mountain Home BuildersWHY Slopes Fail and Maps That Show Where They Might 

BUILDING IN THE MOUNTAINS? Consider this first:  Land Suitability.  Site and Building Design.  Site Resource Assessment  and,  in the mountains, engaging a team of local experts prior to investing in the land and/or building site: a geo technical engineer, a structural engineer, a landscape architect, an architect, a hydrologist, a soil scientist who understand the idiosyncrasies of mountain construction.   ( Photo shows Asheville Area Mountain Range- Would YOU Build Here?)

To make sure the home is solid on the site,one LEED ®Certified General Contractor here in the Asheville area expects buyers to invest $30,000 to $40,000 just on the foundation of the home.

Reminder: It takes less rainfall to trigger a debris flow on a modified slope (with evidence of prior instability) than on an unmodified slope. 

Here in the Ashevillearea mountains, Rick Wooten and the North Carolina Geological Survey Staff of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources  have just introduced the Landslide Hazard Map for Asheville and the surrounding towns in Buncombe County, NC.  In addition, they informed an attentive audience in this presentation:  

WHY Slopes Fail and Maps That Show Where 

NOTE: Landslide Hazard Maps help to identify potential hazard areas, but do NOT substitute for site-specific investigation.  

LANDSLIDE Topics Covered in This Presentaion (see PDF with photos at Link)

Causes- long term and short term factors 

Slope Movement (s)
Debris Flows, Deposits and Fans
Rockslides
Cumulative Effects of Interrelated Factors -Causes and Triggers
(photos and graphics you must see)
Precautionary Zones
Big Slow Movers
Downslope Hazards
Landslide Frequency vs Slope Percent
Embankment Failure
Failures vs Rainfall
Geologic Hazards
Stability Index Map
LANDSLIDE HAZARD MAPS ASHEVILLE (Buncombe County)   

Resources  

Development EXPERT- David Tuch, VP, Equinox Environmental   and his  Team of professionals: 1) Geotech Engineers who can do the soil testing and research to determine what is necessary should you choose to build on one of the challenging sites and Structural Engineers for making sure the building is held in place and won't slide down the mountainside- retaining walls, footing depth... 

Geologist EXPERT- Rick Wooten who with his team has completed the landslide maps mentioned in this post.   Current as of 11/16/2010- Wooten- Why Slopes Fail 

 LAND-OF-SKY Regional Council  (good photo examples)

Asheville Area Hillside Development Ordinance

Recommendation  

Work with a REALTOR® with special training. Look for these designations. NAR GREEN, Eco Certified Real Estate Consultant, RLI. (graphics below) Ask about the Land transactions that Broker has been involved with and what s/he recommends in terms of  process during due diligence.

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A Few of My Other Posts on or Related to Building on Mountain Slopes 

A Few Checkpoints About Steep Slopes 

 LAND Planning & Design   • Land Suitability Analysis •  Site and Eco-Friendly Building Design  •  Site Resource Assessment •  Site Development and Our Steep Slopes  •  Green  Buildings & Communities •     Mountain  Ecosystems You Must Consider • Tree Protection and  landslide Protection... • Conservation Easements & Private Land Trusts   • Purchase of Development Rights  • Farmland Preservation and more  

Integrated Design in the Mountains  

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Residential Market Reports::: "Check Asheville "Monthly Special Gems" and Asheville home stats in the top retirement and green-friendly neighborhoods we cover in Asheville.-
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LAND:: If stewardship of large acreage is important to you, let's talk about mutually beneficial solutions. IF you are a Cash Buyer, some awesome properties are available at excellent price points. . I have the following real estate green designations: NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant.

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