Design Principles and Engineering Samples of Applying Vetiver Eco-engineering Technology for Steep Slope and River Bank Stabilization

摘要

Application of the Vetiver Eco-engineering Technology (VET) for anti-slide and anti-scour is planting vetiver plus supplementary plants on rocky or soil slopes of natural, cut or filled to control sheet and gully erosion, and surface layer landslide resulted from heavy rainfall, excessively steep slope, flood scouring and so on. Through a complete or partial replacement to traditional hard engineering measures, such as concrete or masonry protective coverings, VET can realize two goals: 1) to reinforce the stability of slopes more economically and practically, and 2) to beautify environment and increase ecological effects. The most conspicuous biological characteristics of vetiver used to resist landslide and prevent flood scouring was introduced in the present paper. In addition, the mechanical characteristics of vetiver roots and their growing curves measured at different regions of southern China were also depicted in here. Supplementary plants can revegetate slope rapidly. Their roots and vetiver roots are composed of a three-dimensional root net consists, which can consolidate the ability of VET to control erosion and to stabilize slope. Three kinds of design working conditions for VET used in slope stabilization and river dyke protection were put forth in the paper. Their design principles and application examples in two large rivers were also narrated, which were river dyke protection for the Golden Congkou Section of Hanjiang River dike in Wuhan City, Hubei, and landslide prevention for the Youjing River bank in Baise City, Guangxi. In the end, a wonderful prospect of VET applying to civil engineering was described.