Riverbank Collapsing or Slipping?
If a riverbank has started cracking, slipping or falling into the water, OddGround can help connect suitable enquiries with specialists experienced in riverbank stabilisation and watercourse works across the UK.
Get Help With a Collapsing RiverbankWhen an eroding bank becomes a collapsing bank
Riverbank collapse can happen gradually or appear suddenly after heavy rainfall or a period of high river flow.
The lower section of the bank may first be eroded by the water. Ground above can then become unsupported until a section eventually slumps, slides or falls into the channel.
In other cases, cracks can develop behind the edge before any major collapse is visible. Trees, fencing or sections of ground may begin leaning towards the river as movement develops.
The important question is often not simply “how do we rebuild the bank?” but “why is this section failing?”
Understanding the water, ground and nearby structures can help an appropriate specialist determine what type of remedial work may be suitable.
A riverbank can show warning signs before a larger collapse
Changes in the ground around the bank can help show how the problem is developing.
Cracks in the Ground
Fresh cracks running roughly parallel with the river may indicate that a section of bank is beginning to move.
Overhanging Bank
Water can remove material from the lower bank while leaving unsupported ground projecting above it.
Fresh Soil Exposed
Newly exposed earth can indicate recent movement or erosion, particularly following high water.
Leaning Trees & Fences
Trees, posts and fencing moving out of alignment can sometimes provide an obvious sign that the surrounding ground has shifted.
Slumped Ground
Sections of land may drop or rotate towards the river rather than simply being washed directly away.
Repeated Failure
If repaired sections repeatedly deteriorate, the underlying cause of the erosion or instability may still be present.
What can cause a riverbank to collapse?
Riverbank instability is often the result of more than one factor. The watercourse may be eroding the bank at the same time as wet ground above is becoming less stable.
Erosion at the base
Flowing water can progressively remove support from the foot of the bank. Eventually the weight of the ground above can no longer be supported.
High river flows
Faster and deeper flows can increase erosion, particularly where water is directed towards an outside bend or vulnerable section.
Waterlogged ground
Prolonged rainfall can saturate soil behind the riverbank and contribute to instability or slumping.
Steep banks
A bank that has become progressively steeper through erosion may eventually reach a point where sections can no longer remain stable.
Failed previous works
Old gabions, revetments, stone protection or retaining structures can themselves become undermined or displaced.
The urgency often depends on what the collapse is moving towards.
A collapsing bank in an isolated field is a different problem from one immediately beside a private road, building or bridge.
Farm Tracks & Roads
Continued bank movement can reduce the amount of stable ground supporting an access route.
Buildings & Structures
Riverbank movement close to buildings, walls or other structures may require more detailed assessment.
Bridges & Culverts
Bank failure can interact with bridge abutments, culvert headwalls, crossings and other water infrastructure.
Farmland & Estate Land
Even without a nearby structure, repeated collapse can result in substantial loss of usable land over time.
What might a specialist need to understand?
Extent of the failure
How long and high is the affected section, and has movement continued since the initial collapse?
Behaviour of the water
Is the flow striking the bank directly, undercutting it or changing significantly during periods of high water?
What is nearby
Roads, tracks, buildings, bridges, culverts and utilities can influence the complexity of the remedial work required.
Send enough information to show what's happening
About the site
- Postcode or approximate location
- River or stream involved
- Approximate length of collapsed bank
- Approximate bank height if known
- What is situated behind the bank
- Whether machinery can reach the area
About the movement
- When the collapse first appeared
- Whether it followed heavy rainfall or high water
- Whether fresh cracks are developing
- Whether the bank is still moving
- Details of previous repair work
- Any existing report or specification
Has part of your riverbank started collapsing?
Tell us where it is, what has moved and what lies behind the affected bank. Photographs showing both the collapsed section and the wider watercourse can help suitable specialists understand the enquiry.
Submit a Riverbank Problem