APPLICATION OF SOIL BIOENGINEERING TECHNIQUES FOR SLOPE STABILIZATION AND EROSION CONTROL

SOIL BIO ENGINEERING TECHNIQUES refers to the use of plant species in order to provide structural support to the soil particles. In Soil Bio engineering plant roots promote soil cohesion by holding together soil particles, giving them less exposure to the force of weather elements like wind and storm water. The specific technique to be applied depends on the particular problem to be solved.

In this case there are two problems both initiated by the force of storm water running down land (People's houses) from the quarry (upland) during rainy season.

1. Collapsing slope - the slopes of the quarry need to be stabilized in order to prevent further distortion of landscape. Techniques like wattle fence and bush mattress can be used to form a retaining wall which will support a particular thickness of the soil (depending on the height of the cuttings) hence rescuing collapsing slopes.
2. Soil erosion - From the upland storm water move with a high velocity to the down-land where lives local community. The force of moving water wash down loose soil particles leaving the upland unsuitable for supporting vegetation growth while sediments deposition down land may promote flooding of the area. Soil erosion can be combated by techniques like live gullies and silt traps

THE EFFICIENCY OF STRUCTURE(TECHNIQUE) INCREASES OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME SINCE VEGETATION COVER TAKES TIME TO MATURE.