A useful Power Point by Paul Truong
A useful Power Point by Paul Truong A useful Power Point by Paul Truong
VETIVER GRASS SYSTEMFOR INFRASTUCTUREDr. Paul TruongVeticon Consultingwww.uqconnect.net/veticonAll materials in this document remain the property of Veticon Consulting PtyLtd. Permission must be obtained for their use. Copyright © 2010
- Page 2 and 3: INTRODUCTION• The Vetiver System
- Page 4 and 5: Introducing Vetiver grassUNIQUE MOR
- Page 6: Forming a thick hedge when planted
- Page 9 and 10: China: One year old with 3.3m deep
- Page 11 and 12: Soil stabilisation mechanism by vet
- Page 13 and 14: (These roots have a tensile strengt
- Page 15 and 16: RootsExtensive rootdistribution atd
- Page 17 and 18: Teemburra Dam Access Road Mackay Tr
- Page 19 and 20: One and half year after planting
- Page 21 and 22: CAPE YORKPENINSULARLakeland - Laura
- Page 24 and 25: Completely stabilised seven months
- Page 26 and 27: Cooktown-Lakeland RoadStabilisation
- Page 28 and 29: Eight months after planting
- Page 30 and 31: Steep batter protected by vetiver h
- Page 32 and 33: COSTS SUMMARYandCONCLUSIONNevil Bra
- Page 34 and 35: Other projects in Queensland- Black
- Page 36 and 37: Two years after planting
- Page 38 and 39: Once the batter fully stabilised af
- Page 40 and 41: A very high and steep road batter
- Page 42 and 43: Nabalco Alumina Refinery, Gove, Nor
- Page 44 and 45: Two and half years after planting a
- Page 46 and 47: South Africa
- Page 48 and 49: Principles of the Vetiver System fo
- Page 50: Severe erosion on the abutment of t
VETIVER GRASS SYSTEMFOR INFRASTUCTUREDr. <strong>Paul</strong> <strong>Truong</strong>Veticon Consultingwww.uqconnect.net/veticonAll materials in this document remain the property of Veticon Consulting PtyLtd. Permission must be obtained for their use. Copyright © 2010
INTRODUCTION• The Vetiver System (VS) is based on the use of vetiver grass (Vetiveriaizizanioides L.) for a wide range of applications.• VS was first developed <strong>by</strong> the World Bank for soil and waterconservation and now being used in over 100 countries. In QueenslandVS was developed <strong>by</strong> the Department of Natural Resources for soilerosion and sediment control, land stabilisation and effluent disposal.• Vetiver grass is a native of the Indian sub-continent which wasintroduced to Queensland from Fiji since early in the 1900s. A sterilecultivar was selected and registered to the DPI as Monto vetiver inQueensland. Monto vetiver is sterile, non invasive, it flowers but set noseeds hence no weed potential.• R&D conducted <strong>by</strong> DPI and DNR showed that Monto vetiver is tolerantto the most adverse conditions, high levels of pesticides and herbicidesand also to a wide range of heavy metal toxicities. Therefore VS hasbeen successfully used for environmental protection purposes inAustralia, Asia, Africa and Europe.
TOPICS OF TODAY PRESENTATION1- Introducing Vetiver Grass• Its extraordinary attributes2- Infrastructure Protection• Road and Highway batters• Dam walls• River and stream bank erosion control
Introducing Vetiver grassUNIQUE MORPHOLOGICALCHARACTERISTICS OFMONTO VETIVERSiff Stiff and erect shoot growth
Erect stems upto 2m tall andover 2.5m withflower head
Forming a thick hedge when planted in row
Introducing Vetiver grassUNIQUE MORPHOLOGICALCHARACTERISTICS OFMONTO VETIVERMassive, deep and penetratingroot system
China: One year old with 3.3m deep rootsystem(These roots have a tensile strength equivalent to1/6 mild steel reinforcement)Australia: One yearold, 1.3m and rootbound
Infrastructure Protection• Research on tensile and shear strength of the rootgsystem• Road and Highway batters• Dam walls• River and stream bank erosion control
Soil stabilisation mechanism <strong>by</strong> vetiverVetiverhedgerowsVti Vetiverrootsslipping zone on slopesusually 0~2 m depthsDiti Hengchaovanich
Shear test of vetiver roots
(These roots have a tensile strengthequivalent to 1/6 mild steelreinforcement)
Strong root reinforcement holding up this wall of soil againstwater erosion
RootsExtensive rootdistribution atdepth of this amwall
Infrastructure ProtectionSome examples of works in Qld and Overseas• Road and Highway batters
Teemburra Dam Access Road Mackay Trial conducted <strong>by</strong> the DeptEnvironment and Heritage
After 400mm of rain in 10 days
One and half year after planting
Lakeland – Laura Road(At Split Rock )Batter Stabilisation
CAPE YORKPENINSULARLakeland – Laura Road(At Split Rock )Severe erosion onunprotected cut slope
This concrete shute will collapse due to severe erosionand undermining.
Completely stabilised seven months after planting
Hydromulching seven months after planting
Cooktown-Lakeland RoadStabilisation of road batters
Batter protected <strong>by</strong> vetiver contour planting at between 0.5 and 1.0mVertical Interval, Three weeks after planting
Eight months after planting
Cooktown-Lakeland RoadStabilisation of steep batters aboveculvert inlets and outlets
Steep batter protected <strong>by</strong> vetiver hedges
Eight months after planting
COSTS SUMMARYandCONCLUSIONNevil Bracken, Project Engineer,Pavement Construction Management Pty. Ltd
Road Batter ProtectionC ost SummariesAUD Per linearmetreAUD Per squaremetre of batterfaceVetiver hedges on CutBattersVetiver hedges on FillBatters18.40 21.4015.50 18.20Culvert ProtectionVetiver hedges 18.20Grouted rock pitching 65.75Saving 73%Road Shoulder ProtectionVetiver hedges 15.50T raditional concrete sh oulderdykes 38.00Saving 60%Table Drain Scour ProtectionVetiver contour hedges 15.50Traditional hard rock check dams 42.00Saving 64%Miscellaneous Protection W orkVetiver hedges generally 15.50Steel wire rock mattress 43.00Saving 64%
Other projects in Queensland- Blackwater-Emerald Railway Line- Murphy Creek – Toowoomba Railway line
Blackwater-Emerald Railway Line Unprotected batter
Two years after planting
Murphy Creek – Toowoomba Railway linePlanting on a steep batter
Once the batter fully stabilised after 6 years, native plantreturned to provide more permanent protectionVetiver row after slashing
OVERSEASEl Salvadore
A very high and steep road batter
Infrastructure ProtectionSome examples of works in Qld and Overseas• Dam walls
Nabalco Alumina Refinery, Gove, Northern Territorywall repaired after cyclone damageDam
Six weeks after planting
Two and half years after planting and unaffected <strong>by</strong> the wet season
Guangdong, China
South Africa
Infrastructure ProtectionSome examples of works in Qld and Overseas• River and stream bank erosion control
Principles of the Vetiver System for RiverBank StabilisationIn flood erosion control and riverbank stabilisation the VSuses the deep and high tensile root system to reinforce thebank slopes and its dense and stiff stems to spread andreduce flow velocity.• To stabilise the bank steep gradients, horizontal rows planted onapproximate contour lines• To reduce flow velocity of the strong current therefore preventingscouring from the strong flow, planting of cross rows is needed.• For maximum effect, the cross rows are orientated at right angleto the flow direction.• The spacing of both horizontal and cross rows varies with slopegradient and length, soil type, flow velocity and depth.
Condamine Highway between Miles and Goondiwindi
Severe erosion on the abutment of the Coolumboola Creek bridgenear Miles.
One month after planting
18 months after planting, note the bare area between rows, due tothe dry weather
Disaster Mitigation Project with Kellog Brown & Rootsat Quang Ngai, Vietnam
300 cumecs100cumecsVetiver rowsFlood erosioncontrol in drainagechannel at LaidleyVetiver hedges wereestablished to spreadwater out and also todivert water to the drainDrainage Channel
Water enters the site from the top and sideFlow
Middle section, note that vetiver hedges bent under strong current
Very fast flow flattened and inundated most of the hedges.The velocity was estimated up to 5m/sec in some areas
Submerged VetiverhedgesDrainage channel
Although only 3 month old, the young hedges provide a very effectiveprotection with only minimal erosion at the head of the channelSmall erosion
Strong flow exposed part of the crowns but failed todislodge the plants
Lake Evergreen, Guangdong, China:Highly erodible and badly eroded <strong>by</strong> wave during the wet season.
Two years after planting, trimming during the dry seasonWater line