MSE & Gabion Walls
Deformed, bulging, or eroded MSE and gabion walls reinforced using SuperNails™, stainless steel soil nails driven through the facing into the retained soil mass to restore the factor of safety without excavation.
MSE, Gabion, Pile & Historic Rock Wall Repair
Turn-key retaining wall rehabilitation, repaired in place without full excavation or replacement.
MSE WALL REPAIR & REHABILITATION
New Zealand's retaining wall stock is ageing. MSE walls with deteriorated geogrid, gabion walls that have deformed and lost fill, pile walls that have deflected beyond serviceability limits, and historic stone masonry walls that are both culturally significant and structurally compromised. Many of these walls were constructed decades ago to standards that did not anticipate current traffic loads, seismic demands, or the drainage deterioration that develops over time. When they begin to fail (bulging, cracking, settling or rotating) the instinct is often to demolish and rebuild. In most cases, that is not necessary.
GSI NZ specialises in in-place retaining wall rehabilitation, restoring structural performance and extending service life using through-face reinforcement, anchor systems, and stonemason repair techniques that avoid the cost, programme impact, and environmental disruption of full reconstruction. Our SuperNails™ system installs high-capacity stainless steel soil nails through the face of the existing wall, engaging competent ground behind it and restoring lateral resistance without excavation. This approach is applicable to MSE walls, gabion walls, concrete panel walls, and timber pile walls, and is significantly faster and cheaper than rebuilding.
WALL TYPES
- —MSE walls: SuperNails™ through-face reinforcement restoring geogrid function
- —Gabion walls: reinforcement, re-filling and facing repair; concrete panel and block walls: through-face anchoring and crack repair
- —Steel pile and soldier pile walls: anchor augmentation and drainage improvement; timber crib walls: structural assessment and targeted reinforcement
- —Historic stone masonry walls: stonemason-supervised repair preserving heritage fabric while restoring structural performance
GSI NZ CAPABILITY
- —SuperNails™ system: faster and cheaper than full reconstruction, working in constrained road corridors with minimal traffic disruption
- —Clients include NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, district councils, and private landowners across New Zealand
- —SiteWise Gold accredited, Totika Listed, meeting health and safety prequalification requirements of government infrastructure clients
- —All designs undertaken by registered geotechnical and structural engineers to NZS and NZTA Bridge Manual requirements
THE GSI DIFFERENCE
ONE TEAM.
ONE CONTRACT.
- —SuperNails™ through-face installation restores structural performance without excavation — suitable for MSE walls, gabion baskets, pile walls, and historic stone masonry.
- —In-place repair significantly faster and cheaper than full reconstruction, with compact equipment working in constrained road corridors with minimal traffic disruption.
- —GSI NZ engineers assess, design, and supervise construction under one contract, with full structural documentation and QA records provided on completion.
WALL TYPES WE REHABILITATE
Steel Pile Walls
Deflecting or over-stressed steel pile walls supplemented with additional anchor reinforcement and toe restraint systems to restore structural performance and prevent further movement.
Historic Rock Walls
Heritage stone masonry retaining walls repaired by skilled stonemasons and reinforced with SuperNails™ through the wall face, preserving heritage character while restoring structural performance for the long term.
CAPABILITY
In-Place Repair Across New Zealand
GSI NZ carries out retaining wall repair for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Auckland Transport, district councils, main contractors, and private landowners, across road corridors, rail, coastal sites, and residential land throughout New Zealand. Our SuperNails™ system and the reinforcement approaches we use are specified for long-term performance in the full range of New Zealand's exposure environments.
For walls that have failed or are beyond rehabilitation, our Retaining Wall Repair service covers the full range of reconstruction options. MSE wall, gabion, and pile wall repair works are frequently combined with slope stabilisation and drainage remediation under the same integrated team.
Retaining Wall Repair Overview →FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
RELATED PROJECTS
GROUND ENGINEERING
TE HENGA ROAD
Retaining structure repair and drainage remediation following a flood-triggered landslide, West Auckland.
View Project →GEOHAZARD ENGINEERING
DOME VALLEY SH1
118 rock anchors and 790 m² TECCO mesh installed by helicopter and rope access.
View Project →SPECIALIST GROUTING
WIMBLEDON ROAD
126 soil-cement columns to stabilise an active landslide mass, Central Hawke's Bay.
View Project →Get in Touch
MSE Wall Issue?
We Can Help.
Distress in an MSE wall needs early diagnosis. Our engineers have repaired MSE walls across New Zealand — talk to us before the problem escalates.
Talk to an Engineer