The stabilisation works at Vigna del Mar, located within the Monte San Bartolo Natural Park in Gabicce Mare (PU), address instability affecting the area following the May 2023 flooding event. This event highlighted the geomorphological vulnerability of the territory, where intense rainfall led to rapid increases in pore water pressures and triggered widespread shallow landslides.
Sustainable retaining wall solutions were required in two locations, and the adopted solution consists of our HyperCrib: a modular crib retaining wall system made from recycled plastic. Designed as a mass gravity structure, but also applicable as a hybrid reinforced solution, the system is infilled with free-draining granular material, ensuring high permeability and effective dissipation of water pressures, thereby improving overall slope stability.
The stabilisation works have been carefully designed to ensure landscape integration within the protected park environment. Native vegetation has been incorporated into the structure to promote natural revegetation, while the timber-like finish of the system enhances its visual compatibility with the surrounding context. The choice of HyperCrib also allowed for a narrow-footprint wall, avoiding further excavations.
The project received a favourable opinion from the Monte San Bartolo Natural Park Authority, recognising the system as a suitable and environmentally compatible solution. The speed of construction also allowed the works to be completed before the season opening; HyperCrib offers quicker installation compared to traditional walls such as gabions, masonry, or concrete structures.
Overall, the Vigna del Mar works represent a robust, sustainable, and context-sensitive approach to slope stabilisation in environmentally constrained and geomorphologically sensitive steep slope and coastal settings. The works will be completed in June 2026, where approximately 550sqm face of wall in total will be installed.
