THE USE OF COMPOST AND SHREDDED BRUSH ON RIGHTS-OF-WAY FOR EROSION CONTROL: FINAL REPORT

Highway construction practices have historically been viewed as a major contributor of non-point source pollution. Damage control measures implemented for construction site erosion can include erosion control nets, open-weave geotextiles, geosynthetic mattings, erosion control blankets, loose mulches, hydro-mulches, and chemical soil binders. The Texas Department of Transportation is taking a proactive approach to erosion control research by investigating the use of shredded brush and composted organic waste from right-of-way clearing operations as erosion control measures. Testing was done at the TxDOT/TTI Hydraulics and Erosion Control Field Laboratory at the Texas A&M University Riverside Campus in a simulated highway environment. The testing consisted of six plots, three sand and three clay, on a 1:3 slope. Three materials were applied to the test plots: compost, consisting of mixed yard debris and municipal sewage sludge; shredded wood with a polyacrylide tackifier; and shredded wood with a hydrophilic colloid tackifier. Rain simulations for 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year storm events were tested for sediment loss on the plots. The percentage of vegetative cover was analyzed using the Vegetation Coverage Analysis Program. The results demonstrated that compost and shredded wood with tackifier are as effective as many of the standard erosion control materials and surpass others in cost effectiveness, vegetation establishment, and slope protection.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Research study title: The Use of Compost and Shredded Brush on Rights-of-Way. Published November 1995; revised July 1996. Performed in cooperation with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Transfer Office, P.O. Box 5051
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5051

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Storey, B B
  • McFalls, J A
  • Godfrey, S H
• Publication Date: 1996-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 240 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brush control; Compost; Construction sites; Cost effectiveness; Drainage; Erosion control; Measures of effectiveness; Mulches; Planting; Rain; Roadside; Shredding; Simulation; Slopes; Soil stabilization; Storms; Testing; Vegetation; Water control
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Storm water management; Vegetation establishment
• Old TRIS Terms: Right-of-way clearing; Shredded brush (Vegetation); Slope protection
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00734592
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-97/1352-2F, Res Rept 1352-2F, TTI: 0-1352
• Contract Numbers: Study 0-1352
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Mar 14 1997 12:00AM