Overview

The Canada Olympic Park featured steep slopes that were highly erodible due to the extremely sandy slopes. This caused runoff and sediment accumulation on the COP West Parking Lot. Due to the steep, sandy slopes, manually placing soil improvement products and rolled erosion control products proved difficult. Poor soil fertility coupled with the erodible soils made achieving successful vegetation densities difficult. 

Issues

  • Sandy Soil 

  • 2:1 Steep Slopes 

  • Hydraulic erosion products required 

Problems

 Verdyol Biotic Earth was applied at a rate of 3900 kg/ha. Separate tacking agents were not required as the erosion control used on the site was a Bonded Fiber Matrix that includes tackifying agents. 

Solutions

One year later, grass establishment on the 2:1 slopes was thick and robust, and some turf varieties were spiking seed-bearing heads. Slope erosion and sedimentation onto the COP West Parking Lot was eradicated, and posed no further maintenance issues. Only one application was required, and vegetation remains full on the slopes to this day. 

Results

 

 The decision was made to use Verdyol Biotic Earth as a topsoil alternative at a cost of only 54% what topsoil had been priced at. They chose S31 and S32 straw blankets as their erosion control on the project. 

Seed and fertilizer were applied along with the standard application rate of 3,900kg/ha (3,500 lbs/ac) of Verdyol Biotic Earth. With no cure time, the erosion control blankets could be installed right after the Verdyol Biotic Earth was applied. 

 

“Our expectations with the finished product have been far exceeded. Vegetation growth was rapid and consistent across the entire project site.” 

– Harry Schroeder P. Eng. LEED AP Project Manager