Erosion is a major world-wide problem that has devasted land leading to loss of human lives and properties. The coastal regions are mostly affected by the natural disaster. In Nigeria, the environmental degradation costs in 2018 from the erosion of the seven coastal states that span about 853km was estimated at least USD1.9b according to the World Bank. The inland erosion within Nigeria leads to loss of arable farmlands that threatens food security, destruction of houses rendering people homeless, and roads that disables movement of goods and services thereby limiting trade and businesses.
The socio-economic pressures exerted on the people by the combined effects of the distresses potentially facilitate antisocial acts that are counterproductive to the desired peace and security of the country. Fortunately, gabions, renos, and geotextiles present both remedial and preventive solutions to erosion problems. Moreso, the materials are competitive in terms of costs of construction when compared with the conventional methods involving sheet pile and concrete structures.
The serviceability and durability of the erosion control flexible structures depend on the quality and appropriate selection of the gabions, renos, and geotextiles. The design may involve the combined use of the three materials or only the geotextiles by way of sandbags. The coastal land needs to be secured by constructing a well compacted earth embankment to a height that cannot be flooded. The embankment downstream slopes are then protected from the erosive impacts of the waves using gabions, renos, and geotextiles.
The design could insert a line of gabions along the downstream toe of the embankment to serve as an anchor for the protective layer of renos that cover the downstream slopes upto the crest of the embankment. Another line of gabion wall may be inserted at the crest to serve as an anchor for the other end of the renos layer. The underlay for the gabions and renos is a suitable permeable geotextile to facilitate filtration that prevents the migration of embankment soil particles into the voids of stones that filled the gabion and renos.
Alternatively, the erosion of the embankment may be prevented by using sandbags made of permeable non-woven geotextiles. The geotextile sandbags are professionally laid along the slopes to exert enough gravity that is adequate to prevent the bags being removed by the force of waves. The selection criteria of the sandbag geotextiles are such that the geotextiles are excellent in puncture resistance (high CBR value) with adequate filtration capabilities to prevent loss of soil from the bags and appropriately suitable in tear resistance (high tensile strength).
Conclusively, the use of gabions, renos, and geotextiles for erosion control and land reclamation is comparatively cheaper, thereby saving funds that can be diverted into the productive sectors of the economy like roads, energy, water, education, and health for the growth and wellbeing of the people that ultimately promote the sociology and economic empowerment of the people with dividends of peace and security.
Gabions Geomembrane Geotextile Ltd is a group of professional engineers who will not compromise quality. We import quality gabions, Reno’s, geotextiles, HDPE geomembranes, geogrid, geobags, and geomat from Western Europe at competitive prices. We offer free technical services to our customers. We can be located at No 3, Print Road, Behind Living Faith Church, Sabo, Kaduna. Nigeria.
+234 703 784 5174, +2348185285346 (WhatsApp)
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