Use of Compost and Shredded Brush on Rights-of-Way for Erosion Control: Final Report (1352-2F)

Highway construction practices have historically been viewed as a major contributor of non-point source pollution. Damage control measures implemented for construction site erosion can include erosion control nets, open-weave geotextiles, geosynthetic mattings, erosion control blankets, loose mulches, hydro-mulches, and chemical soil binders. The Texas Department of Transportation is taking a proactive approach to erosion control research by investigating the use of shredded brush and composted organic waste from right-of-way clearing operations as erosion control measures. Testing was done at the TxDOT/TTI Hydraulics and Erosion Control Field Laboratory at the Texas A&M University Riverside Campus in a simulated highway environment.|The testing consisted of six plots, three sand and three clay, on a 1:3 slope. Three materials were applied to the test plots: compost, consisting of mixed yard debris and municipal sewage sludge; shredded wood with a polyacrylide tackifier; and shredded wood with a hydrophillic colloid tackifier. Rain simulations for l-year, 2-year, and 5-year storm events were +tested for sediment loss on the plots. The percentage of vegetative cover was analyzed using the Vegetation Coverage Analysis Program.|The results demonstrated that compost and shredded wood with tackifier are as effective as many of the standard erosion control materials and surpass others in cost effectiveness, vegetation establishment, and slope protection.