Handbook to help engineers reduce landslide and erosion risk
Ecological engineers, or eco-engineers, use ecological processes to achieve engineering objectives in natural systems. In the LIFE QUALITY project ECO-SLOPES, eco-engineers tackled the problem of slope stability. Currently, inadequate erosion control and slope stabilisation programs put Europe's mountainous regions at risk for natural disasters like landslides and torrents. ECO-SLOPES Coordinator INRA undertook the task of assembling the knowledge acquired during the project into a comprehensive, coherent handbook for eco-engineers. The handbook contains extensive background information, including descriptions of the various types of unstable slopes and the physical forces that can trigger slope failure. One method by which slopes can be made safer is in the growth of natural vegetation. Once the eco-engineer has identified the type of unstable slope they are dealing with, the next step is to select the most appropriate vegetation. ECO-SLOPES contributed to this critical phase with a thorough investigation of the mechanical properties of the full gamut of vegetation, from grasses to shrubs to trees. An emphasis is placed on the anchoring potential of the root system of each type of plant. Analytical methods are also discussed in the handbook, allowing the eco-engineer to estimate the stability of the slope, the vegetation or the combination of the two. The handbook can optionally be supplemented with the Slopes Decision Support System developed during ECO-SLOPES. Additional sections of the handbook address special topics such as reducing the risk of erosion following wildfires and rockfall. Case studies of actual implementations of the techniques are also included. In addition to eco-engineers, INRA believes the handbook is also suitable for university students since it touches on a wide variety of disciplines. The handbook has been packaged together with a fieldwork handbook from ECO-SLOPES and submitted to Kluwer Academic Publications for publication. If approved, publication of the package will help increase awareness of the issue of slope stability and its resolution.