New Compost Based Erosion Control Products Demonstrated at Concord’s Terrill
Park Walkway Project
Terrill Park is located off Exit 13 in the city of Concord New Hampshire. This
city owned property is being upgraded as part of the city’s overall recreation
master plan and will eventually include boat access and other amenities. This
summer, Goundworks of Concord initiated the first phase of the Terrill Park
restoration project. The scope of this phase of the project included removal
of an existing bituminous roadway and construction of a stone dust walkway through
the park ending at a small gravel parking area for visitors at the north end
of the property.
John Sullivan, a landscape architect with Groundworks Concord, was in charge
of all phases of the project. This included the design and permitting for the
project as well as site supervision of the work as it was completed. At the
suggestion of Ridge Mauk, site-specific supervisor for New Hampshire DES, John
contacted Landscape Support Services of Goffstown, NH for assistance with erosion
control on the site. Mr. Mauk had felt that this would be an excellent project
to demonstrate the use of compost based products for erosion control, specifically
silt fence replacement, at a site that would be convenient for people who are
interested in seeing this type of installation. Landscape Support services is
a certified installer of Filtrexx erosion control products and also has experience
with other types of compost based erosion control systems.
Landscape Support Services installed two types of silt fence replacement on
this site to demonstrate the potential for the use of compost in this application.
The first was a simple compost berm constructed 18’’ tall with a base of approximately
36". The berm was installed in this case utilizing an EB-60 Rexius Express
Blower and the Rexius Berm builder to create a uniform berm. A compost berm
has several advantages over traditional silt fence. Compost berms require no
ditching or reinforcement and can easily be installed over rough surfaces providing
a consistent footprint at ground level where most silt fence failures begin.
Compost berms are also made of 100% organic materials and provide biological
as well as mechanical filtration of water as it passes through the berm. In
many cases compost berms will blend into the landscape and can remain in place
when the job is completed or can be dispersed onsite as a valuable soil amendment.
Berms can also be seeded as they are installed or fortified with a variety ofRexius’s
microblend tm which enhances the composts ability to break down and create
a three dimensional matrix. This adds to the structural integrity of the berm
as well as increases the filtration capabilities of the berm.
Landscape Support Services also installed Filtrexx tm filtersock on
site. Filtrexx tm filtersock is a specially manufactured compost filled
mesh tube, which was installed, in this case, with the same Rexius Express blower
used to install the filter berm. Filtersocks come in 8", 12" and 18"
sizes and can be used for a variety of erosion control needs. Filter socks can
be used as ditch checks and for inlet protection, as well as for silt fence
replacement. They have been used to replace riprap and direct channalized flow
and are used extensively for shoreline and stream bank stabilization. At the
Terrill Park project, 12 and 18-inch filtersock were used as silt fence replacement,
especially in areas which may experience chanalized flow during a rain event.
Filtersock has very similar advantages to filter berms and may work better in
some applications. It was noted on this site that soon after installation a
piece of equipment used in the initial phase of the project ran over a short
section of the Filtersock in one area and tore it slightly. Without any repair
the sock continued to function as designed and was still intact at the completion
of the project. Silt fence subjected to similar abuse would have required immediate
and extensive repair.
When the project is completed there are several options when the sock is no
longer needed. The sock material consists of 3 mil HDPE, which will begin to
degrade in approximately 2-3 years and can be removed or left on site at the
end of a project. In many locations the sock is cut, laid flat and covered with
the compost contained within. The sock is filled with compost which can remain
on site as a beneficial soil amendment. This reduces labor and disposal costs
at the completion of the project saving time and money. In the case of the Terrill
Park project the sock will be cut and removed and the compost dispersed into
the surrounding area.
As the Terrill Park project was nearing completion Landscape Support
Services offered to demonstrate one more new and innovative product.
The majority of the area that had been disturbed was loamed and
hydro seeded as is typical on many projects today.
Approximately 10,000 square feet of the job was Terraseeded. Terraseeding
is a patented process using the Rexius Express Blower in which seed
and compost are mixed and applied in a one-inch layer over the graded
loam. Terraseeding offers several advantages over loaming and hydro
seeding. Compost is an all-organic product, which contains little
or no weed seed and will enhance the growth potential of poor quality
loam. Because the compost is blown in place it has better erosion
resistance than traditional methods. Water and the energy of impact
are absorbed by the surface, thus reducing sheet flow, which leads
to rill erosion. The seed is also evenly distributed throughout
the compost insuring good soil contact and increased germination
rates. Finally, although germination rates vary, the Terraseeded
portions of the Terrill Park project experienced faster germination
by four to seven days than the hydro seeded portions of the job.
The overall response to the use of compost has been very positive from all
who have had the opportunity to visit the site. Landscape Support Services would
like to take this opportunity to thank John Sullivan of Groundworks Concord
and Ridge Mauk of New Hampshire DES for the opportunity to demonstrate some
of the potential that compost has as an alternative to traditional methods of
erosion control. We believe that compost based products add another valuable
tool to the tool box of architects and engineers as they work to conform to
new and more stringent water quality regulations and the job site challenges
they present.
To find out more about compost and it’s use in erosion control,
we would like to invite you to explore these informative web sites:
Or you can contact Jack Eaton directly at Landscape Support Services
(603) 621-0270 for more information about the Terrill Park project
or compost as an erosion control alternative.
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