Manhard was hired to design and implement a strategy to stabilize a severely eroded ravine within Kickapoo Woods along the Little Calumet River in Riverdale, IL.  The slide of material had exposed nearly 30 feet of an existing storm sewer which was constructed directly beneath it.  The project was part of a grant based infrastructure improvement project for the Little Calumet River.

The design team developed an innovative approach which included recycling nearly 100% of the existing infrastructure while daylighting the sewer into the ravine, removing the only manhole and reusing as a drop structure.  Existing RCP was specified to be crushed and used as an accepted equivalent to riprap.  Overexposed or at-risk trees were designed as terraced grade breaks to replace the impact of the washout a the toe of the slope.  The reused of onsite materials reduced material needs by an estimated 50% for the entire project, not including traditional and necessary SESC measures.