Erosion control is about preventing the water pollution and soil loss that occurs often as an unintended result of wind and water action around farming, development and construction sites.

Erosion control products and practices are often deployed in urban areas where storm water run off is a problem. A typical erosion control product will include a barrier installed in conjunction with sediment basins and silt fences to capture loose soil and prevent it from being taken away by storm water run-off.

Erosion control products and practices can be employed in existing landscapes or new ones as they are being built. The objective of the designers of erosion control products is to prevent soil loss and also to enhance the landscape itself by retaining nutrients and enhancing natural features.

Erosion control products can be divided in to three broad categories – contoured earth structures, erosion control mats and screens, and permanent erosion control structures.

Erosion Control Products & Practices – Contoured Earth Structures

The construction of swales, collection ponds and other structures designed to slow the pace of storm water drainage and capture silt can be an effective controller of natural erosion processes. Hard Landscape elements such as rocks and logs can be used to shape the landscape in a way that reduces the effect of soil erosion. Stiff stemmed plants are often used to strengthen earth structures.

Erosion control products – Erosion Control Mats, Screens and Sediment Barriers

Various erosion control mat products are available which can be staked in to the ground to reduce the effects of wind and rain on freshly dug soils. Some erosion control products are mats impregnated with seed which germinate and grow within the mat medium. Typical erosion control mat mediums include jute, straw, mulches, and coconut coir.

Erosion control products such as mesh screens can be used to hold new mulch materials in place, and are available in plastics or biodegradable materials. Fibre mulch mats are commonly seen on housing developments and are effective because the mulch is interlocked with fibre.

Erosion control products like mats and screens are best laid as soon as soil works are complete to keep soil loss to a minimum. Erosion control products like mats and screens are often seen along slopes, river banks, roads and channels.

Sediment barriers are designed to capture sediment behind a wall or barrier that is made of the same materials as other erosion control products such as the mats or screens above. Sediment barriers can be used for short-term control on a new site, or as a more permanent solution. They include erosion control products like wattles and tubes.

Erosion Control Products & Practices – Permanent Structures

Rock barriers, concrete walls, drainage ponds, and overflow drains are large structures that can be used to capture run-off, and retain soil on the site. These strategies are often used on large commercial sites with potential for a large erosion control problem.

Erosion Control Products During Construction

Erosion control products are used both during the construction phase of an outdoor project and after as a more permanent erosion control solution. Erosion control is particularly sensitive during new construction work due to the level of soil disturbance and high visibility of erosion on construction sites. For construction companies to remain in compliance they must adhere to erosion control requirements during the construction phase, even though the final erosion control products are installed in the finishing stages of a project. Two different sets of erosion control strategies and products are therefore often used at two different stages during a development.

Outdoor design article tags: erosion control products. Erosion control. Erosion control mats, erosion control screens. Erosion control structures.