Performance of geosynthetic cementitious composite mat and vetiver on soil erosion control

An understanding of how different land covers affect soil erosion caused by rainfall is necessary in mountainous areas. The land cover usually plays an important role in controlling landslide hazards associated with these terrains. This paper presents the results of a field experiment where several types of land covers were placed on a full-scale embankment as erosion control. An 8 m wide, 21 m long, and 3 m high embankment with a 45° side-slope was built with lateric soil. The soil was compacted under a relative compaction of 70% to simulate a natural soil slope. Two sides of the embankment were divided into six land cover areas, with three different areas of bare soil, and one each of a geosynthetic cementitious composite mat (GCCM), vetiver grass, and a combination of GCCM and vegetation. Soil erosion and moisture levels were monitored for each land cover area during six natural rainfall events encountered over the experimental period. Field results were compared with a numerical simulation and empirical soil loss equation. The results revealed that the GCCM gave the best erosion control immediately after installation, but vetiver grass also exhibited good erosion control six months post-construction.