Geological assessment to permanent protection — active stabilisation and passive containment across New Zealand.
Rockfall is a constant hazard along New Zealand's road and rail corridors. The country's steep, fractured rock slopes — from the Kaikōura Coast to the Buller Gorge, the Haast Pass to the Whanganui River Road — create conditions where individual boulders and large-scale rock masses can mobilise with little warning. Seismic activity, rainfall, frost-thaw cycles and natural weathering all contribute to ongoing rock instability, making rockfall mitigation an operational priority for infrastructure asset managers across the country.
GeoStabilization New Zealand Ltd delivers the full spectrum of rockfall mitigation services in New Zealand — from emergency scaling operations immediately after a failure to the design and installation of permanent passive and active protection systems. Our rope access teams and limited-access equipment allow us to work safely at height on slopes that are inaccessible to conventional contractors, often without requiring full road closures or extended traffic disruptions.
SERVICES INCLUDE
GSI NZ CAPABILITY
THE GSI DIFFERENCE
Step 1
Our geotechnical engineers characterise the rock mass, identify structural discontinuities, map potential source zones, and model rockfall trajectories and energies. The assessment defines the design basis for all mitigation measures.
Step 2
We address the source — scaling to remove loose material, rock bolts and anchors to secure unstable blocks, and TECCO or similar mesh to retain fragmented rock face. Active measures reduce the hazard at its origin.
Step 3
Where residual risk remains, we install passive containment — energy-absorbing rockfall barriers rated to 8,000 kJ and above, drape mesh systems, and attenuator fences designed to intercept and contain material that does detach.
CASE STUDY
State Highway 6 through the Haast Pass corridor is one of New Zealand's most challenging remote highway environments. Persistent rockfall from near-vertical cliff faces threatened ongoing road safety and closures. GSI NZ delivered a comprehensive mitigation programme combining geological assessment, active scaling, rock anchors, and passive containment systems.
The remote location and difficult terrain required helicopter support and rope access installation — both core GSI NZ capabilities deployed routinely on this project. All works were carried out by GSI NZ's own crews under a single design-build engagement.
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118 rock anchors and Geobrugg TECCO mesh, helicopter-access stabilisation north of Auckland.
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Rockfall mitigation on one of New Zealand's most challenging remote highway corridors.
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Passive rockfall containment on the Kaikōura coast SH1 corridor.
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Rockfall risk doesn't sit still. Our engineers will assess the hazard, design a mitigation system, and install it — under one contract.
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