Not many scientific experiments require twelve hundred tonnes of soil and rubble. But that is exactly what is being used by scientists at SCRI in Dundee as they try to tackle the life-threatening dangers posed by landslips; using plants.

Watch the story as reported on BBC's Reporting Scotland.

Slopes built beside the UK’s road and rail network cost billions to build and millions to maintain every year. With the prolonged rainfall in recent years, many new slopes have blocked roads either from landslides or rapid erosion.

The scientists from SCRI, one of Scotland’s leading research centres, have built their own 10 metre long, 30 metre wide embankment on a landfill site on the outskirts of Dundee run by the City Council. It simulates engineered embankments that would commonly be found beside the transport network or on reclaimed sites like mines. They’re using it to test soil and compost treatments. Blanket composts are used to protect against erosion directly and the scientists also want to see how well plants establish in recycled soils treated with compost. With more plants the soil should be more stable as the roots will act like reinforcing rods.

The project has the support of WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). It helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more, making better use of resources and helping to tackle climate change. Support was also provided by Delson Contracts Limited. It also involves the Geotechnical Engineering Group at the University of Dundee who will be modelling slope stability.

The test slope has been divided up in to experimental blocks. Different treatments will be applied by SCRI farm staff. Technical measuring equipment has been installed on the embankment to enable scientists to measure run-off and erosion.

SCRI Scientist Dr Paul Hallett said: “If you think of the great dust-bowl of the 1930s or the dust storms that threatened to plague the Beijing Olympics both problems were down to one fundamental change in the land – the removal of the right type of plant roots.

“We’ve completed previous work on stabilising large engineering slopes with trees, in partnership with the University of Dundee, but this project takes a closer look at the surface soil of engineered slopes, which is often so infertile that establishing plants is difficult. Using compost should offer a cost-effective solution. It also opens up a market for green waste that used to end up in landfill.

“Drive down a road surrounded by newly built slopes and you are likely to see bare soil that easily washes away under heavy rainfall. If we can find cost-effective methods to establish plants rapidly, the problem could be cut back considerably. On the road and rail network we currently spend hundreds of millions of pounds each year remediating unstable or eroded slopes.”

Landslips may become more frequent in the future because of climate change. Scientists have predicted that Scotland could experience more freakish weather events, including very heavy rain storms.

In January last year a landslip in West Dunbartonshire forced the closure of one of Scotland's busiest passenger railway lines. The line between Helensburgh and Dumbarton was closed to passenger services.

A few months earlier a long stretch of the A83 has to be closed after a major landslide at the Rest and be Thankful road, west of Loch Lomond. A total of 400 tonnes of soil and rock, loosened by several months of rainfall, tumbled down onto the road in the early hours of the morning.

SCRI’s involvement in the project is being managed by its commercial wing, Mylnefield Research Services.

More information from:

Phil Taylor, Head of Communications, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560044 (direct line), Mobile: 07810 860 701 or

Lorraine Wakefield, Information and Online Service Officer, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560047 (direct line) or 562731 (switchboard).