Slope drainage and landslide prevention
Keeping groundwater down on Hong Kong's slopes during heavy rain.
Hong Kong receives around 2,400 mm of rain a year, most of it between May and September and often in short, intense storms. Much of the city is built on or beside steep slopes.
Why water matters on a slope
When heavy rain soaks into a slope, the groundwater rises and water pressure builds inside the soil. That pressure reduces the soil's strength, and it is one of the main triggers of landslides. Keeping groundwater low during a storm is one of the most effective ways to keep a slope stable.
The limits of today's slope drains
Slopes are commonly drained with raking drains drilled into the slope and weepholes through retaining walls. Both depend on openings and filters that can clog with fine soil over the years, and they are hard to inspect once installed. A blocked drain gives no warning until it is needed most.
An MDP approach
Our patent covers MDP as part of an anti-landslide system. Because MDP is designed to keep draining without clogging, it can relieve water pressure steadily through the whole wet season, year after year, with less maintenance.
- Steady pressure relief during heavy rain
- Less reliance on filter layers that can blind
- Lower maintenance on hard-to-reach slopes
- Clean drained water that can be collected and reused