Erosion Control Sprays – Challenges, Types, Applications, Products

What is an Erosion control spray?

Erosion control spray refers to long-term sprayable solutions that is applied for erosion control, and it immediately dries forming a skin or crust that can withstand agents of erosion such as water, rain or wind. These are often called soil binders or geo binders in the industry. An erosion control spray is utilized on different soil types including coarse-grained soils, fine-grained soils, and dispersive soils. An effective erosion control spray offers the following:

• withstands high overland flow velocities
• batters temporary drains stockpiles.
• suitable for use on all soil types.
• stopping erosion in its tracks.
• longevity in erosion control.
• contaminated soil capping.
• caters for vegetated drains.

Erosion control spray challenges in Australia

Degraded soils require erosion control which also factors in the need for biotic growth amendments via soil ameliorants. It is important to have an efficient and cost-effective erosion control solution that deals with the following erosion control challenges in Australia: 

• need to spray two or more products in extreme environments.
• hinderance of native seed germination and establishment.
• repetitive spraying due to lack of functional longevity.
• lack of strains of bacteria and fungi in spray.
• limited biostimulants and natural wetting agents.
• environmental contamination due to leaching.
• unstable non-water soluble nitrogen source.
• shortage of minerals and trace elements.
• inability to replace topsoil and compost.
• lack of self-sustaining outcomes.
• high water requirements.
• limited spray distance.
• clogging of nozzles.

Types of erosion control methods

There are different types of erosion control methods available on the market. Some are traditional and involve a lot of maintenance whereas the modern-day techniques focus more on efficiency through spraying which eliminates the need for preparation and take less time to be effective. The different types of erosion control methods include:

• Vetiver Grass technology.
• erosion control blanket.
• spray on soil binders.
• erosion control cloth.
• turf reinforcing mats.
• erosion control mat.
• erosion control net.
• geo-jute textile.
• hydroseeding.
• rock gabions.
• hydromulch.
• revetments.
• coir logs.
• geo-grids.
• riprap.

GRT erosion control spray applications

There are different erosion control spray applications that coincide with the role they must play as soil ameliorants. Soil ameliorants enhance the quality of soil and therefore improve plant health, growth and revegetation. These are the different erosion control spray applications:

• vegetative and non-vegetative stormwater drain solutions.
• slopes – hillside, extremely steep, unstable, rock-face.
• residential development sites.
• bund and culvert linings.
• railway track projects.
• dispersive riverbanks.
• mine rehabilitation.
• highway upgrades.
• construction sites.
• storm-prone sites.
• commercial sites.
• national parks.
• landfill sites.
• quarry sites.
• rock batter.
• stockpiles.

GRT erosion control spray products

Product: GRT Enviro Binder 

Key product benefits:

• Non-toxic and environmentally friendly product.
• Immediately effective once applied.
• Binds soil preventing erosion on any exposed soil area.
• Support seed and vegetation growth.
• Minimal soil preparation for application of product.
• Cost effective results.
• Safe installation.
• Waterproof product.

Product: Soil-Loc

Key product benefits:

• prevents wind erosion soil loss.
• immediately effective upon application by binding directly to the soil.
• accelerate germination.
• reduces impact erosion, sheet erosion, topsoil loss and sediment.
• cost-effective when to hydro-mulching and hydro-seeding revegetation.
• minimizes wash away of seed.
• aids fertiliser retention around the root zone.
• more available fertiliser for plant uptake.
• environmentally friendly.

GRT client case studies using erosion control spray products

GRT erosion control spray products have been used in and around Australia and these are some of the case studies where our erosion control spray products have been used with great success:

• 2019/2020 Australian Bushfire Recovery.
• Sunshine Coast Airport, Marcoola Queensland Australia.
• Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 2.
• Logan Enhancement Project.
• New Parallel Runway at Brisbane Airport.

In conclusion

We often get asked the question surrounding use of pesticides in our erosion control spray products. Pesticides have a lingering effect in the soil, and they have an extreme negative effect on the soil biology. Hence, we do not use any pesticides in our erosion control spray solutions. All our raw materials are sourced within Australia where we make it a point to support our local industry. Subsoil amelioration enhances native seed germination and establishment and feel free to reach out to Daniel Grundy and learn more about how our erosion control spray solutions can do more than just erosion control. 

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REFERENCES

Niziolomski et al. 2020. Efficacy of mulch and tillage options to reduce runoff and soil loss from asparagus interrows. Catena. 191. 104557. 1 – 10.

Pan et al. 2020. The tradeoff between soil erosion protection and water consumption in revegetation: Evaluation of new indicators and influencing factors. Geoderma. 347. 32 – 39.

Panova et al. 2020. Soil conditioners based on anionic polymer and anionic micro-sized hydrogel: A comparative study. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects. 

Sadeghi et al. 2020. Field measurement of effects of individual and combined application of biochar and polyacrylamide on erosion variables in loess and marl soils. Science of the Total Environment. 

Sadeghi et al. 2020. The hydrologic behavior of Loess and Marl soils in response to biochar and polyacrylamide mulching under laboratorial rainfall simulation conditions. Journal of Hydrology. 1 – 14.