Copyright © Gateway Structure Sdn Bhd (199401025111). All Right Reserved.
Menu
In the construction industry, erosion control is one of the biggest challenges. Building contractors must use the right building materials, adopt the right building strategies, and choose the right site location, especially when water is a threat – hence the need for controlling erosion.
Erosion control is important for protecting new structures from environmental hazards and also for preserving the construction site. In this post, we highlight the types of erosion, the effects of erosion, and different erosion control measures to minimize environmental impact and the overall cost.
Erosion is simply the washing away of the earth’s surface. It is typically a multi-phase process, starting at the surface and then quickly making its way through deeper and larger parts of the earth.
Construction erosion comes with many detrimental effects. They include:
Erosion can damage the ecosystems in water. It could impact the amount of sediment and nutrients in the soil.
Extra sediment: Extra sediment in water increases its turbidity level. Turbidity prevents sunlight from penetrating water. When sunlight is reduced, photosynthesis is reduced too.
For plants, this causes damage to vegetation growth. For animals, reduced oxygen levels caused by lessened photosynthesis can impact the habitat for the fish and other animals.
Excessive nutrients: Erosion can increase the number of nutrients in the water which can cause a lot of havoc to plants and animals.
This is because excess nutrients add extra nitrogen and phosphorus which can lead to overgrowth.
Erosion washes organic matter, plant nutrients, and every key component of healthy soil away.
This reduces soil quality, which in turn, lessens the soil’s natural ability to regulate water flow, provide healthy nutrients, and combat pests and disease.
To prevent erosion on construction sites, you need to know the following control measures.
Geotextile wall is commonly used not just to control erosion but to also improve soils over which earth-retaining structures, pipelines, roads, and embankments are built.
Geotextiles come in various types; they may have an open mesh woven geotextile, a closed fabric or nonwoven geotextile, or a warp-knitted structure. The specific type of geotextile used is dependent on the application.
These are revetment systems that can be constructed in various thicknesses and shapes. Articulated concrete blocks form a grid of interconnected units that engineers use to control erosion on artificial drainage channels and embankments of waterways.
The dust control method is applicable for water and air pollution. Silt fences, polymer additives, misted water are common methods for dust control in soil.
Construction engineers employ riprap as an erosion control method to protect the soil in areas of concentrated runoff to minimize erosion of riverbeds and lakeshores. Riprap acts as a barrier on slopes.
They are a layer of gigantic stones interlocked together. Often, riprap combines with geotextile installation to prevent the soil from moving through the riprap.
Turbidity barriers are made of geotextile membranes to prevent soil erosion and migration of contaminants in water. In some cases, turbidity barriers are used for supplemental sediment control.
MSE walls offer numerous benefits over traditional concrete retaining walls. It provides speed and ease of installation which makes it adaptable to a variety of sites.
A French drain is a system of underground piping (called drain tile) that navigates surface and groundwater to an exit point. They are typically installed with a slope of about 1 inch of drop per 10 ft of horizontal run.
Soil nails serve as a resisting force against slope failures. It is installed by drilling into the soil and placing a series of nail bars deep into the earth. The nails are capped at the surface to create a barrier similar to a retaining wall.
Erosion control is a crucial issue that poses a threat to the environment. Failure to implement the aforementioned erosion control measures for construction can prove costly to living organisms, properties, and the environment at large.
We hope this post gives you a good understanding of the challenges faced in the construction industry when it comes to erosion.
Copyright © Gateway Structure Sdn Bhd (199401025111). All Right Reserved.