Evaluating the Impact of Compost Blanket Thickness and Source Material on Vegetation Establishment Runoff Management and Erosion Control of Roadside Slopes
Highway construction projects increase the risk of soil erosion on disturbed roadside slopes. Quick reestablishment of vegetation is critical to prevent erosion and manage stormwater runoff, which can carry pollutants into nearby water bodies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of compost blankets on roadside slopes ranging from the steepest (2H:1V) to the mildest (6H:1V) through laboratory rainfall simulations and a field experiment. The objective was to determine the optimal compost blanket thickness and source material for minimizing runoff, controlling Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and promoting vegetation establishment. The results indicated that 5.08 cm of biosolids compost were most effective on the steepest 2:1 slope. Biosolids at 3.81 cm were effective on 3:1, 4:1, and 6:1 slopes while 2.54 cm of yard waste compost was sufficient to significantly reduce runoff and soil erosion on 6:1 slopes. Field experiments conducted over three months recorded 20 rainfall events, with a total rainfall depth of 20.93 cm. The most severe storm, a two-year return period event with 4.72 cm of rainfall over six hours, generated 30.28 L of runoff in each untreated control cell. In contrast, no runoff was collected from any of the treated plots throughout all events, demonstrating the high absorption and infiltration capacity of the compost blankets even under severe conditions. Furthermore, biosolid treatments achieved vegetation coverage of over 90%, outperforming yard waste and untreated plots. These results demonstrate that compost blankets are highly effective in managing soil erosion. The use of compost blankets promotes sustainable waste management by recycling compost materials from yard waste and wastewater treatment plants, offering a green and eco-friendly solution.
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