Erosion control is one of the most fundamental processes in construction projects. As time goes by, the topsoil or the earth’s surface gradually wears off due to multiple natural or manufactured forces and will be displaced to another location. This phenomenon is called erosion.
There are different types of erosion, but soil erosion can be primarily seen in construction sites. The soil wears off faster due to the continuous digging, grading, and excavation for land development, which may cause danger to the environment or nearby populated areas.
Erosion control helps prevent these possible disasters. It is the practice of stabilizing the sediments in the construction sites using various land management systems and artificial structures.
What Causes Soil Erosion?
Many factors can come into play that may cause soil erosion. The leading cause is running water, usually during rainfall, causing the soil to erode. In areas dense with flora, such as forests, soil erosion becomes slower due to the plants’ roots helping keep the soil in place.
Other factors that can cause erosion are wind and slopes. Because of gravity, areas with a steeper slope, such as a hill or a mountain, will be more prone to erosion than a flat land area.
Lastly, one more significant factor that causes erosion is human interference. Human activity, such as agricultural practices, deforestation, the use of vehicles, or urbanization, can disturb the soil frequently, causing it to erode over time.
Erosion control Techniques
There are different methods in controlling erosion depending on the terrain and type of construction project. However, here are some examples of ways to control erosion:
1. Soil Nailing
Soil nailing involves drilling steel bars similar to nails into the soil. This technique helps provide resistance against slope failures and is very easy to install in most land areas. This is the quickest way to reinforce soil to make it more stable. Additionally, this technique will help strengthen landslide-prone areas and provide stability for concrete structures at a cheap cost.
2. Geotextiles
Geotextiles control erosion and improve the land that roads are built upon. Geotextiles usually have either an open mesh weave, a warp-knitted structure, or a non-woven surface. The use of this method is decided by several factors, such as filtration, drainage, etc.
3. Vegetation
Planting vegetative crops with deep roots helps hold soil in place, thus resulting in erosion control. This is important in controlling soil erosion in areas such as hillsides. Plants that are used in erosion control include wildflowers and prairie grasses.
4. Drainage
Having proper drainage makes it so that the water flows through it instead, preventing too much water absorption on the soil. This includes having effective piping systems and gutters that go directly into the underground drainage system.
5. Erosion Control Blankets
Erosion Control Blankets are used to slow down water runoff and soil erosion, specifically for slopes. These blankets are placed deep onto the slope soil, protecting it from further runoff, degradation, and, as the name suggests, erosion.
Correctly implementing and using these techniques will help decrease soil erosion while also helping you save workforce and resources in certain situations, such as during construction.
Benefits of Erosion Control
While erosion is part of the natural process of mother nature, controlling it is essential and beneficial to humans and animals and their habitats.
Erosion control can also benefit three industries: agriculture, construction, and land development.
With agriculture, erosion control can help increase efficiency in growing healthy and abundant crops. This is because erosion tends to carry away some nutrients that crops need to grow. Additionally, agricultural runoff tends to cause overgrown crops and the death of many aquatic plants.
With construction, erosion control helps reduce disruption during site construction. If erosion isn’t controlled, construction companies would need to spend more time and resources on a workforce to remove the eroded soil and sediments in their construction areas.
Before construction, land development happens first, and erosion control helps ease this part of the process. Land development involves making a landscape more suitable for building. Proper erosion control will help develop a more suitable and stable ground for construction.
Takeaway
Soil is probably humanity’s most underrated resource. We use it to grow vegetation, plants, trees, and flowers. However, we lose 26.4 billion tons of soil each year worldwide to erosion. It isn’t something we can ignore, especially when talking about taking care of mother nature for the long term.
Erosion control is significant as it affects the habitat of animals, public and private properties, and human life. This can also affect travel, especially if erosion occurs on a developed road, rendering it impossible to drive on. Most importantly, erosion control indirectly contributes to our health and environment. The more erosion there is, the more unstable the land our houses are on. Hence, we must give enough attention to erosion control.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
