INFLUENCE OF ROLLED EROSION CONTROL-SYSTEMS ON TEMPORAL RAINSPLASH RESPONSE - A LABORATORY RAINFALL SIMULATION EXPERIMENT

Reduction of erosion and sediment-related pollution from urban constru ction sites or other degraded hillslopes often relies on the initial a pplication of suitable rolled erosion control systems (RECS) before na tural vegetation cover can be established. However, research has not c learly explained why some RECS perform better than others, or under wh at particular conditions one system is more suitable than another. An important link between the application of the most suitable RECS and b etter product design is process-based studies relating the physical pr operties of products to the reduction of erosion subprocesses. This st udy investigates time-varying reduction of rainsplash detachment and t ransport by 13 commonly used RECS. The results indicate that product d ifferences in the protection they provide against splash processes var y over the duration of a rain event, and that this variation is relate d to individual product properties, especially surface coverage and th ickness. These results should aid in the design of more effective eros ion control products and in the selection of the most suitable RECS fo r particular hillslope applications. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Lt d.