Overview

Successful  vegetation  was  crucial  to stabilize an 8,000 square meters steep embankment  on  the  Mexico –Puebla Highway. Revegetating   the   embankment   was challenging  though,  because  it  was built   using   materials   from   nearby quarries,   and   its   soil   was   sandy, gravelly and low in organic matter. 

Issue

  • Steep embankment
  • Sandy and gravelly soil
  • Extremely low organic matter
  • Vegetative and environmentally friendly solution required
Before

Problem

Successful vegetation was crucial to stabilize an 8,000 square meters steep embankment on the Mexico –Puebla Highway. Revegetating the embankment was challenging though, because it was built using materials from nearby quarries, and its soil was sandy, gravelly and low in organic matter.

After
Roots

Solution

Verdyol Biotic Earth, used in conjunction with hydromulch and 100% biodegradable coconut erosion control blankets, was chosen as the best option to improve initial vegetation success, grow healthy long-term vegetation, and to control erosion in an environmentally friendly manner.

In January 2019, Verdyol Biotic Earth, fertilizer, and local seeds were hydraulically applied to the embankment. Hydromulch was then applied to provide initial erosion control to the site. Coconut erosion control blankets and high resistance metal meshes were later installed over the entire embankment to provide additional erosion protection, as well as to help conserve moisture at the seedbed. Supplemental watering was applied to the embankment for the first 60 days after installation.

After2

Results

Vegetation started to establish quickly and had significantly expressed on the site after 20 days. In April of 2019 (three and a half months after the start of the project), the embankment showed a 90% vegetation increase. The vegetation density achieved in conjunction with the coconut blankets and metal mesh now protect the steep slope from erosion and provide stability and support to the highway. This project illustrates that Verdyol Biotic Earth is able to achieve significant vegetation success under extreme soil and slope conditions when used in conjunction with erosion control products.