Residence, Grafton, WI - 2006
In early 2006, a section of bluff that stretched 1,000 feet along Lake Michigan and 60 feet inland collapsed and fell 42 feet straight down. There was an early thaw in January of 2006 and the underground water rose; later in the month a hard freeze occured which caused the bluff face to freeze and 1000' of bluff failed due to trapped internal water. This left the bluff’s edge only 19 feet from the home on this property. Gillen installed a series of drains to reroute groundwater away from unstable underground sand layers and into the lake. After bluff drain installation, a contractor replaced earth in front of the home. This solution stabilized the bluff and helped prevent further failure and loss of property.