PROJECT CASE STUDIES
The Results Are Hard To Ignore
Project Name: Peabody Coal Constructed Streambanks Stabilization.
Application: Overwinter Protection and Vegetation Establishment on Constructed Streambanks
Installation: ShearForce10 on Oct 25, 2018
Site Description:
- Standard cool season annual/perennial grass and legume mix
- Silty Clay Loam soil
- Approximate 6ft wide stream channel bottom (left unprotected for natural substrate)
- Stream channel bottom gradient <1%
- Variable gradient sideslopes (protected with ShearForce10 ECTRM)
- Drainage from 120 acres of reclaimed mineland
- Over 30 inches of rainfall from Oct 25, 2018 through April 30, 2019
Grab the slider to see "before vs after" with ShearForceTM 10
Objective
Test application for the InstaTurf® ShearForce™ 10 ECTRM at protecting the highly erodible banks of a constructed stream channel through reclaimed mineland over the winter months, while establishing permanently reinforced vegetation
InstaTurf® ShearForce™ 10 ECTRM Installed Oct 25, 2019 on seeded streambank. The ShearForce10 did an excellent job of protecting the streambanks through a two inch rainfall on Nov 1, which generated bank-overtopping flows. Grasses were starting to emerge thru mats on November 8, 2019.
Unusually heavy rains throughout the fall, winter and spring months flooded the stream channel on numerous occasions.
ShearForce™ 10 effectively armored the streambanks through all flood events, sustaining a good stand of vegetation by April 30, 2019.
Grab the slider to see "before vs after" with ShearForceTM 10
Project Name: Peabody Coal High Flow Channel Protection Field Trial
Application: Evaluation of ShearForce™ 10 for replacing rock riprap in high flow areas
Installation: ShearForce™ 10 on Sept. 10, 2019
Overview: We installed the InstaTurf ShearForce™ 10 at a coal mine in Indiana in September 2019 to demonstrate the erosion armoring capabilities of the product compared to rock riprap. Tim Lancaster revisited the site on multiple occasions to see how the ShearForce™ 10 product, unprotected control sections, and rock check dams held up through the winter months. As you will see, the ShearForce™ 10 test section remained solid after a long, very wet winter, whereas the unprotected control sections and riprap structures had failed.
Site Description
- Standard annual/perennial grass and legume mix
- Silty Clay Loam soil
- Approximate 4 ft wide channel bottom
- Stream channel gradient bottom gradient approx. 4%
- Sideslope gradients 5:1 and less
- Drainage from over 12 acres of reclaimed mineland
- Over 8 inches of rainfall from Sept 10 through Nov 29
Challenge
Test application for the InstaTurf ShearForce™ 10 ECTRM at protecting the highly erodible channel soils and evaluate effectiveness as a rock rip rap replacement.
InstaTurf® ShearForce™ 10 hybrid-turf instant armor mat installed in high flow drainage channel on Sept 10, 2019.
By spring 2020, severe erosion and scour had occurred in adjacent and downstream areas not protected with ShearForce™ 10. Note green section in upper center is vegetated ShearForce™ 10, with failed rock riprap check dam just downstream.
By late May 2020, the ShearForce™ 10 had become fully vegetated, and now acts to permanently reinforce the grasses against future storm flow events.
Project Name: Pecan / Guttenberg Solar Farm Installation
Application: Overwinter Protection and Vegetation Establishment on Constructed Streambanks
Installation: ShearForce10 on Oct 25, 2018
Site Description:
- Standard cool season annual/perennial grass and legume mix
- Silty Clay Loam soil
- Approximate 6ft wide stream channel bottom (left unprotected for natural substrate)
- Stream channel bottom gradient <1%
- Variable gradient sideslopes (protected with ShearForce10 ECTRM)
- Drainage from 120 acres of reclaimed mineland
- Over 30 inches of rainfall from Oct 25, 2018 through April 30, 2019
