Monday, May 1, 2017

The Benefits Derived From Erosion Control Blankets

By Ann Reynolds


This is considered a practice that generally involve material application and more specifically organic materials to create a cover on top of soil surface to protect it from displacement. The practice is aimed at regulating or preventing water or wind erosion in agriculture, river banks, coastal areas, land development and on construction sites. One of the methods mostly used for curbing this menace is erosion control blankets which is an effective method with many benefits to the soil.

There are several types of these netting materials which are available to anchor and support organic mulches. This blanket should be placed on bare lands that are lands without vegetation cover. It is good for people to plant grass and other plants such as trees to provide vegetation cover which in-turn controls soil erosion. Therefore, all newly dug areas or seeded areas should actually be protected with some disc-anchored mulch.

These control blankets are specified by designers basically to protect or provide cover to open areas, graded slopes or drainage swales hence allowing germination of seeds. In highly erodible areas some contractors may choose to use these mats control erosion temporary. To be clear enough, these mats are generally biodegradable materials that people used to protect unprotected slopes and some channel areas mostly from water and wind erosion.

The materials used to make the blanket are straws, coconut, wood excelsior and in some cases geotextile woven materials like polypropylene. These mats are more effective for stabilizing soils found on steep areas to moderate slopes, drainage swales, new landscaped areas and ditches about to be seeded or planted. Other additional advantages include, the use of mats will increase or facilitate water infiltration into soil.

Other benefits of mats as a means of controlling soil erosion basically include reducing flow velocities, minimize soil moisture loss, moderate soil temperatures and increase micro-organism activities. The cover also prevents crusting, provide suitable and favorable micro-climate that is necessary for seed germination among other benefits. Mulching is also known for increasing infiltration in the soil.

The other type is biodegradable control blanket which is a natural fiber mat basically held together mostly by netting to provide cover on slopes and stop soil loss. Another type is permanent mat which is a synthetic mat material which provides a more permanent solution to erosion menace. The last type is known as turf reinforcement mat.

The second factor to consider is effectiveness and one is expected to select a material that is more effective compared to the rest of stabilizers. The third factor is the associated cost of purchasing, installing and also maintenance. Cost should be considered carefully so as to avoid being exploited in any way.

The application of this organic mulch can be by use of hand or mechanically by using a mulch blower. This wood fiber may consist of soft timber or raw hard timber that basically has passed through mechanical chipper, tub grinder or hammer-mill. One should ensure the wood is completely free of mold, sawdust, foreign material, dirt and should not be a decomposing timber. Mats or mulch should never contain any of the following that is chemically treated wood like wafer-board, chromate copper arsenate, particleboard or penta-treated wood and chipped manufactured boards.




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