Strengthening the banks of water bodies: materials, technologies

If you are planning to create a compact pond on a countryside or a land plot has access to a river or a natural pond, sooner or later you will face the task of preserving the shores, which is explained by the tendency to shedding them. This process is natural and contributes to the loss of the shape of the reservoir and its siltation. In the end, the picturesque corner can turn into a swamp.

Solution

In order to tame the water element, it is necessary to make sure that the banks are fortified. If we ignore these rules, this will provoke the subsidence of the soil and its partial collapse. These processes can become dangerous for humans and their habitation, as well as plants and some elements of the landscape. Specialists for this reason recommend timely implementation of preventive measures aimed at strengthening the shore line.

Materials used

Strengthening of coasts can be carried out by different methods and materials. If the pond has a shallow shore, then for the work can be used:

• Geogrid;
• Coconut mats;
• Mattresses Renault.

The first version of the material is one of the most effective. The geogrid is a three-dimensional structure made of polymeric tapes, which are fastened to cells and arranged in staggered order. During operation, the grid stretches along the slope and is fixed by anchors. Cells should be filled with rubble or soil, and after planting with plants, their roots will provide additional reinforcement.

The strengthening of the coasts is often carried out also with coconut mats. This technology is applicable to the shores of a pond whose bottom is made of a film. The material has a characteristic dark color and is able to hide the film base when the water level drops. Among other things, the polymer structure is favorable for the germination of a moisture-loving flora, which acts as a strengthening of the soil and decorative decoration. The technology of laying mats is quite simple.

Alternative solutions

Strengthening of the banks can be carried out with the help of special mattresses, they are made of metal mesh, which is twisted in 2 times and covered with zinc or polymer. In order for the structure to be sufficiently rigid, it is divided into sections by internal diaphragms. The sections are filled with natural stones, which makes it possible to achieve the strength of a monolithic structure. Over time, the characteristics of the type of permeability and strength only increase, which is due to the sprouting of vegetation through the cells.

The structure of mattresses is lattice, air and water pass through it, which makes the structure resistant to decay. Due to this, the operational period exceeds 25 years. The strengthening of the coasts by such technology is usually carried out in impressive areas. The material is able to protect the shore from erosive processes and acts as the basis for the retaining walls. Mattresses are flexible, so they can be shaped in the process of laying.

Materials for strengthening steep slopes

If the shore of the pond on the territory of your site is characterized by steep slopes, the following materials can be used for strengthening:

• Retaining walls;
• Wooden piles;
• Gabions.

The reservoir on the site will be reliably fortified in the shore area if using retaining walls. Their erection is usually carried out from:

• Finished blocks;
• Stone;
• Wood;
• Brick.

This option is able to completely change the perception of the pond and significantly expand its space. The walls are durable, they resist the subsidence of the ground and its blurring. These technologies are relevant in the event that there is a need for vertical planning of the coastal zone. Quite often the installation of the retaining walls is carried out on the bases, in the role of which piles or lattice constructions of Renault act. When the soil is excessively mobile and differs looseness, the height of the retaining wall should not be less than one meter.

The reservoir on the site, as mentioned above, can be strengthened in the shore area with wooden piles. In practice, they are used, despite the fact that reinforced concrete products have the greatest strength. For the production of wooden piles, the most durable wood types are used, such as larch and oak. The operational life of such structures reaches 50 years.

If the steep bank is decorated with such trunks, then it will look very effective. When using reinforced concrete piles, it is possible to achieve high fencing strength, but such a system will look sad and gray. Before you strengthen the shore, you need to choose technology. One of them is the technique of using gabion constructions. These are massive blocks that are filled with stone materials like cobblestones or pebbles. Gabions have a network structure, so they are resistant to the effects of groundwater and soil mobility. The life of gabions can reach 80 years, and their durability with the years only increases.

Strengthening river banks with plants

The shore of the river can also be strengthened by using plants for this. They must have a sufficiently powerful ramified root system, which will be resistant to flooding. This method is acceptable only in those cases when the speed of the river is no more than 1 m per second, while the waves do not exceed 0.3 m. The shore of the river can be planted with herbaceous flora and shrubs, among them:

• Poplar black ;
• Amorph;
• Marsh iris;
• manna;
• sea buckthorn;
• Ayr.

Water vegetation is planted in the underwater zone, in this case you can use water iris. As soon as the landing was carried out, an overseer should be conducted.

Technology of shore strengthening with a geogrid

To carry out the work, the following tools and materials should be prepared:

• Non-woven geotextile;
• Crushed stone;
• Shovel;
• Pneumosteplexer;
• Geogrid;
• Frost-resistant concrete;
• scraper;
• Anchors.

Geogrid for strengthening is one of the most effective. Work should begin with surface preparation. First, you need to remove the surface soil, and after leveling the base and lay a non-woven geotextile, which will act as a draining layer. The geogrid is laid on the surface, which is stretched and fixed by anchors, arranged in staggered order.

Geogrid should take the form of a rectangle. Modules are attached to each other by a pneumostepler and anchors. Cells should be filled with soil material such as frost-resistant concrete, gravel or soil. If you want to make the design non-standard or please your eyes, you should fill the cells with colored materials.

Technology of strengthening coconut mats

Strengthening the shores of the pond you can do with mats. Fits the material from the shoreline. It does not need to be pulled. The lower part is placed down by 0.5 m. The upper part is fixed on the ground by reinforcement. The mat must be fixed to the film with a water repellent adhesive. In order to fasten the joints of the surface, a lapping technique of 20 cm should be used. The overlap must be from a side that is not visible.

The upper mat is covered with a vegetable substrate, and the one that is immersed in water should be covered with fine grained gravel or sand. Strengthening the shoreline should be accompanied by the laying of artificial or natural stone. If this is not possible, then vegetation should be used. Flora will serve as a decorative element, bordering the shore.

Use of biological methods

Biological methods make it possible to obtain a delayed result, but are among the most durable and reliable. Prevent overgrowing and siltation of the pond can be planted Siberian larch. Its trunks, being for a long time in the water, do not show a tendency to rot, they are resistant to frost. On their strength and durability to mention there is no sense. The trunks are ecological, their presence in the water does not disturb the ecosystem of the reservoir. If you implement bank protection in this way, then additional care will not be required for larch.

Conclusion

Many landowners, arranging a pond on a country plot, are wondering when it is necessary to carry out works on bank protection. Experts believe that these manipulations should be carried out at the stage of arrangement of the excavation. If you own a natural water body, preventive measures for strengthening should be carried out in a short time, when there is a threat of destruction of the shores. If measures are taken in a timely manner, this will prevent destruction and save on repair activities.