STUDIES WITH POLYELECTROLYTES: PRELIMINARY FIELD APPLICATION FOR EROSION CONTROL

CONTROL OF SOIL LOSSES RESULTING FROM EROSION OF FRESHLY GRADED SLOPES PRESENTS A CHALLENGE TO ANY HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION ENGINEER. IN MOST CASES, VEGETATION (USUALLY GRASS) IS ESTABLISHED TO STABILIZE SOIL AGAINST THE BEATING ACTION OF RAINFALL AND SCOURING OF SURFACE WATER. THE COMMON PRACTICE IS TO SEED THE AREA AND THEN WAIT FOR A GRASS COVER TO DEVELOP. ALTHOUGH THE PERFORMANCE OF MULCH IS USUALLY SATISFACTORY FOR INTERIM PROTECTION, IT HAS THE FOLLOWING DISADVANTAGES: FLAMMABILITY, UNSIGHTLINESS, HIGH COST, AND EXPENSIVE AND TEDIOUS APPLICATION. STABILIZATION OF MULCH TO WIND ACTION IN MANY CASES REQUIRES TYING DOWN. MOREOVER, IN MANY AREAS MULCH IS NOT AVAILABLE. CERTAIN RESINS WHICH HAVE BEEN FOUND TO IMPROVE SOIL STRUCTURE HAVE ALSO SHOWN PROMISE IN STABILIZING SOIL AGAINST EROSION. TWO OF THE RESINS CONSIDERED WERE SODIUM SALT OF HYDROLYZED POLYACRYLONITRILE (CRD 189-A) AND CALCIUM CARBOXYLATE POLYMER (CRD 186-1). PRELIMINARY FIELD TESTING HAS INDICATED THAT SURFACE TREATMENT OF SOIL WITH CRD 189-A PROVIDES A PERMEABLE FILM, RESISTANT TO WATER EROSION. DATA FROM SMALL PLOTS SHOW THAT EROSION WAS REDUCED BY RESIN APPLICATION TO ABOUT ONE THIRTIETH THAT OF UNTREATED AREAS. RUNOFF WAS ALSO GREATLY REDUCED. THE PERFORMANCE LEVEL OF THE RESIN APPROXIMATES THAT OF STRAW MULCH. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbroadsidedevcomrpts/1952/1952-009.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 222, pp 15-25, 14 FIG, 1 TAB. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Weeks, L E
  • Colter, W G
• Publication Date: 1952

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Roadside Development Committee Reports
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Electrolytes; Erosion control; Resins; Slopes; Soil stabilization
• Old TRIS Terms: Resin stabilizers
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00205048
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 15 1971 12:00AM