PPT on Bio-Engineering

By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

BEG499BE
Bio-Engineering
Chapter 08 Optimal Techniques

Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Site Categorization

Physical factors affecting slopes

• Fault lines • River cuttings
• Springs • Catchments
• Slip planes • Drain Discharge
• Large gullies • Khet and Kulo
• Landslides • Construction activities
• River flooding
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Site Categorization
Erosion and Failure process
• Different variety of erosion processes must be
identified before remedial work can be started
• The erosion and failure processes at each segment of
slope are:
– Erosion on the surface.
– Gully erosion
– Planar sliding (translational landslide or Debris slide)
– Shear failure (rotational landslide).
– Slumping or flow of material when very wet.
– Debris fall or collapse.
– Debris flow
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Site Categorization
Slope angle(s)
• Record the slope angles and assign each segment to
one of three classes:
– <30°,
– 30 - 45°,
– > 45°
• Slopes of less than 30° will need only mild
treatment;) those falling in the other two classes will
require more substantial stabilization.
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Site Categorization
Slope length
• Record the length of each segment of the site as < 15
meters or > 15 meters
• A slope length > 15 m is big segment where as < 15
m is 'small' site segments
• Slope segments longer than 15 metres are prone to
greater risks, for example of gulling.
• Segments with very long slopes (greater than 30
metres) need special consideration
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Site Categorization
Material Drainage
• This relates to the internal porosity of soils and the
likelihood of their reaching saturation, losing cohesion
and starting to flow
• Materials with poor internal drainage tend to have
more clay than sand. They are prone to slumping at a
shallow depth (e.g. < 500 mm) if they accumulate too
much moisture.
• Stabilization requires drainage in addition to other
functions.
• For convenience, materials are classed into 'good' or
'poor' drainage
 PPT on Bio-Engineering

Site Categorization
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Site moisture
• The moisture regime of the entire site must be
considered.
• In assessing sites, it is necessary to determine
into which of four categories each site falls.
– Wet: - permanently damp sites (e.g. north-facing gully
sites).
– Moist: - sites that are reasonably well shaded or moist
for some other reason.
– Dry: - generally dry sites
– Very dry: - Sites that are very dry; these are usually
quite hot as well (e.g. south-facing cut slopes at low
altitudes).
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Optimal Techniques
• Suitable Bio-engineering technique depends on a
range of site conditions
• There are many different factors which determine
the optimum technique or combination of
techniques
• Major factors are slope angle, slope length, material
drainage, site moisture, potential problem and
function required
• Bio-engineering technique are combined with
appropriate civil engineering structures where
necessary to enhance slope stability.
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Optimal Techniques

Step 1 • Slope Angle

Step 2 • Slope Length

Step 3 • Material Drainage

Step 4
• Site Moisture

Step 5
• Potential Problem

Step 6 • Function Required

Step 7 • Techniques
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Optimal Techniques
(a) (b) (c) (c) (e) (f) (g)
Slope Slope Material Site Potential Functions Technique(S)
Angle Length Drainage Moisture Problems Required
Erosion Armour, Diagonal grass lines
> 15
> 45° Good Damp slumping reinforce
metres
drain
Erosion Armour, Contour grass lines
Dry
reinforce
Slumping, Drain, 1 Downslope grass
erosion armour, lines and vegetated
reinforce stone pitched rills or
Poor Damp
2 Chevron grass lines
and vegetated stone
pitched rills
Erosion, Armour, Diagonal grass lines
Dry slumping reinforce
dram
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
(a) (b) (c) (c) (e) (f) (g) By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha
Slope Slope Material Site Previous/ Functions Technique(S)
Angle Length Drainage Moisture Potential Required
Problems
Erosion Armour, 1 Brush layers of
reinforce, woody cuttings or
catch 2 Contour grass lines or
3 Contour fascines or
30° - <15
Good Any 4 Palisades of woody
45° metres
cuttings or
5 Site grass seeding,
mulch and wide mesh
jute netting
Slumping, Armour, 1 Diagonal grass
erosion reinforce lines or
2 Diagonal brush layers
or
3 Herringbone fascines
and shrub/tree planting
Poor Any or
4 Herringbone bolster
cylinders & shrub/tree
planting or
5 Another drainage
system and shrub/tree
planting
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

Optimal Techniques
(a) (b) (c) (c) (e) (f) (g)
Slope Slope Material Site Previous/ Functions Technique(S)
Angle Length Drainage Moisture Potential Required
Problems
Erosion Armour, 1 Site seeding of grass
catch and shrub/tree
< 30° Any Good Any
planting or
2 Shrub/tree planting
Slumping, Drain, 1 Diagonal lines of
erosion armour, grass and
Poor Any
catch shrubs/trees or
2 Shrub/tree planting
 PPT on Bio-Engineering
By: Dr. Pradeep K. Shrestha

End of Chapter 8