toll inc 36194 RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR TREATMENT OF EMBANKMENT SLOPES # ‘ FOR : EROSION CONTROL THE INDIAN ROADS CONGRESS 1991MEMBERS OF THE SPECIFICATIONS & STANDARDS COMMITTEE, IRC : 86-1974 1. 38 Mara, Director General (Road. Development, and. Addl. Gomes Sey tote Gon tial, Minato Sppae 2 RF gute Shes coger, Minty of shiping & a. QuaMoba Atssh Sear io Gomt of Jammu & Kashmir, Pablic RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 4. RC. Arora aso Eastera Inc, Paciameat Strest FOR 2 Mas mom, Glee Geoels Noa” Rota oration 6. TN. Bhargava, Quek engraver (Roads), Ministry of Shipping & 7 TREATMENT OF EMBANKMENT Tran 7. BC. Chandneskiaran Chi rEg, (National Highways), Chepauk, SLOPES 8, MX, Chatterjee, Fiat No. 31, 201, Manicktala Main Road, Calcutta-54, } FOR 10. Be Mb. Dh, BE ime Stat teks Reseach: pepper, , Babee Tae sun one aaanest | EROSION CONTROL He BRE Ghow, HSA” igd“Pavemeat vision, “Onatal" Roa d earch fais, New Del 2h, 13. MK. Guba Meober, Wott ‘Bengal Public Service Comm ission. i 14. Dr. V.N. Gunaji, Chief Engiozer (H1) & Joint Secretary, Maharashtra | SiC Departmen, Bombay? BI, 16. Gant, Guerengaene Hanan, Pv.D, B&R. 1& Big Sarch Chandra, Birestor sof Dein, igpleria-tklets Branch, isu House 17. SA Heda, Mina ct Eager, Advance Pasi Wi, me 18, CLN, yeas, Goma Asoction of fndla, Gombay-L, | 1S S28 Yasnonne Se tae tS Kang Rot, Bonbay-52 2 iia heap Uaoneyiasey of Spice i 21, Keyal Keisha, GE nee (Rett), LIGA, Chandigarh. Seeger (Re armas Sha ous Bombay Picoeh Stet engoesh € MD. (Be 8) aur, Gilat Repueee Oy AP. PWD, Simei jo" Unies Nations Development Frogramme, ‘Ano, Jordan. Ghia eagnes, Cement Service Durex, Avarpet, SGiatie, Central Road Reszarch Tosttute, New Del. Pe Bagincer (NIL), Gandhinagar, Bangalore. $e Sein & Gilt taguncer BPW D., ara, 30, Satish Prasad, Mange, (Atal), tntan Oi! Corportion Li 31, ALR. Satyonarayana Rao, Gilet Engineer (Retd,), 8-3-1042, Srinagar Colony, Published by 32 Neen, Sef Engineer (Roads), Ministry of Shipping & THE INDIAN ROADS CONGRESS Fran 33, D. Ajitha Simba. Bassler’ (Civil Bngineeing). Indian Standards Jamnagar House, Shabjahan Road, iat Poors Marg, Vasant Vibes, New Det. t New Delhi-110011. ‘5; Srna Fi, Pa, 1991 Head rae Oghigy, Cetra Road Rover Price Rs 1200 Director, Central Road Research Institute, Now (tus postage & packing) m Deli26. 38. Sujan Singh, ‘BYRNE VILLA’, Lower Mall, Kasaull. (H.P.), 38 CGP Swaminaban{ ‘Deputy Director, ‘Central Road’ Research institute,IRC: 56-1974 First published : July 1974 Reprinted : March. 1991 (Rights of Publication and of Translation are reserved) Printed at Sagar Printers & Publishers, New Delhi (1000 copies) ARC: 56-1974 RECOMMENDED PRACTICE FOR TREATMENT OF EMBANKMENT SLOPES FOR EROSION CONTROL 1. INTRODUCTION This Recommended Practice was approved by the Soil Engi- neering Committee (Personnel given below) in their meeting held on the 29th November 1972 subject to certain modifications which were subsequently carried out. 1. 48. Marya Convenor 20 TK, Natarajan = Member-Seoretary 1. Kewal Krishan GL. Kumar 5. Shri M.R, Maya H.C. Malhotra DSN. Ayyar Dr, RK. Bhandari TN. Bhargava Brig. Harish Chandra 1 2 3 4 5. B.C. Chandrasekharan A.R, Satyanarayana Rao. 6. MK. Chatterjee Dr. V.N.S. Murthy 1. AK. Deb N. Sea 8, Dr. CR, Gangopadhyaya Dr. Shamsber Singh 9. MLD. Gupta R.C. Sharma 10, S.N. Gupta 1. RP. Sinha 11. Prof, $.K. Gulhati SN. Sinha 12) Dr. CEG. Justo 5 C, Thandapant 13. Dr. RK. Katth j. Dr. LS. Uppal Later, it was approved by the Specifications & Standards Com- mittee in their meeting held on the 31st January and Ist February, 1974 and then by the Executive Committee in their meeting held on the Ist May, 1974, Finally, it was approved by the Council in their ‘meeting held on the 2nd May, 1974. 2. GENERAL Instances are not wanting where many embankment slopes made up of different types of soils have suffered a high degree of Gamage due to erosion from rain and wind. Denudation of vegeta- {ion from soil slopes or else the lack of vegetative cover on embank- 1IRC: 56-1974 ‘ment slopes is often responsible _for the formation of rills and rain- cuts, eventually. Ieading to a surficial slide or to an undermining of the ‘edges of the road pavement structure. When _vegetation is established on slopes, there becomes available an effective dense network of root system, penetrating to a depth of about 0.5 t0 0.75, metre into the stope, which serves to anchor down the soil mantle and render it resistant to erosion. ‘The need for bringing out a guideline on the treatment of embankment slopes for erosion control is therefore. strongly indicat- ed. This guideline highlights some of the techniques of establishing 44 vegetal cover on embankment slopes including some of the rela- tively new ones such as the asphalt mulch technique; use of wood shavings or saw dust; ready-made turfs of grass; application of coir netting and jute netting, e(e., to the solution of the problem. This guideline does not concern. itself with other methods which are in Foutine use such as the provision of aprons, pitching with stone, use of cement stabilised soil, etc. 3, SIMPLE VEGETATIVE TURFING WITHOUT USING ANY ‘SPECIAL TECHNIQUE This is the most economical method of providing vegetation ‘on embankment slopes. Naturally, this method should be adopted wherever practicable. The method, consists of preparing & slope area into sted beds by grading it to the extent possible and then broadcasting seeds or planting root slips. of the promising types of locally available plants, Some typical deep-rooted species of grass, ctc., are given in the Appendix. ‘One recommended variation of this technique is that instead of treating ‘the whole of the slope in poor soils, plantation could be eneouraged by putting in seedlings in isolated pockets of specially cnriched soil. ‘There are limits to the successful application of this method. The method is apt to fail in the following situations: (1) On very erodible slopes where seeding oF sprigging is liable to be ‘washed down before they have had time to take root (2) When work is to be done immediately preceding or during very heavy downpour. (3) In places where no artificial supply of water is available for pro- Inioting growth of vegetation or where adequate supply of moisture forthe slopes by light rain or drizzle Is not available outside of the 2 Only under these circumstances, it is advisable to go in for a special technique such as the ones recommended. in the succeeding paras of this standard. 4. TRANSPLANTATION OF READY-MADE TURFS OF GRASS It is also possible to. provide vegetative turfing by ‘sodding’ which involves the bodily transplantation of blocks of turls_of grass (with some 5-8 em or so of soil covering the grass roots) from the ‘riginal site to the sideslopes of the embankment to be treated. If found necessary, pegs or nails could be used to hold down the grass sods in the initial stage. 5. STRAW WITH COWDUNG OR WOOD SHAVINGS OR ‘SAWDUST AS MULCH In the ease of embankments which are less than 3 metre high, where the severity of the erosion problem is not ofa high order, the use of straw mixed with cowdung, or wood shavings or sawdust mixed with cowdung preferably is recommended as a mulch. The approximate thickness of wood shavings or sawdust cover should be 25mm. The organic mulch covering the soil slopes can_ be held in place and made resistant to being washed downhill or being blown away, pegging them down with bamboos, at suitable intervals, on a grid pattern and also laying bamboos horizontally connecting the pegs and thus forming the grid. 6. SLOPE TREATMENT BY ASPHALT MULCH TECHNIQUE ‘AS AN AID TO VEGETATIVE TURFING Firstly, the slope proposed to be treated should be demarcated and fenced by local prickly bushes or by barbed wiring. The slopes should be then prepared into vast seed beds by rounding off the tops, regrading or reshaping the slope and by finally raking the top Soil to about Scm thickness. If the slopes are entirely raw and infertile and if the soil happens to be slightly acidic, calcium ammonium nitrate should be applied at the rate of 50 kg per 500 sq. metres. The root. slips of the most promising types of locally available grasses should then be dibbled, 15 to 25cm apart, root to oot, and row to row. The asphaltic film gradually disintegrates, its place being gradually taken up by a carpet of green vegetation, penetrating through the asphaltic film. ‘The carpet of grass that supplants the asphaltic film acts as an immediate cover for the slopes till the more deep-rooted species of shrubs and trees develop and take root. After planting of grass roots, etc., these should be 3IRC : 56-1974 watered, An asphalt emulsion (mulch) is then sprayed by a suitable sprayer. (The term ‘mulch’ refers to any loose or soft material, e.g. strawy dung, etc., laid down on the slopes to protect the roots of plants). The optimum rate of application of the emulsion shall be 0.7-1.0 kg per sq. m. If required, water may be added to the bitu- ‘minus emulsion to give a 50 : 50’ composition of binder and water. The thickness of the emulsion ‘coating should be optimum. because thicker applications would tend to retard the growth of plants and seeds, whereas application thinner than optimum would not be effective in controlling erosion. ‘The advantages resulting from the application of the asphalt emulsion are :() susceptibility to erosion is cut down, (i) the mois- ture content as well as the nutrients in the soil_mantle are conserv- fed, and (iil) the. soil temperature. is raised by absorbing the light says, promoting the emergence of tiny saplings. ‘The method proves particularly successful if itis so timed that advantage is taken of the increased moisture content in the soil Tesulting from. the. first couple of monsoon showers. However, neither a continuous heavy downpour nor a long spell of dry ‘weather occurring immediately after the completed treatment is esirable since in such an eventuality the process will perhaps have to be repeated partially or fully, By and large, on the basis of requirements of this technique, it would be preferable to use a medium to slow breaking emulsion. list of equipment necessary for undertaking the spraying is given elow: ( SPRAYERS (any one of the following types): (2) Knapsack sprayer 10 to 20, litres capacities, We. 3 to Tg Being portable, it is particularly suitable for steep slopes above the highway (b) Gator rocking sprayer-—Wi. 10 kg to 20 kg capacity of pressure ‘Spto 13.5 kglem®, Can be used on up-slopes with the provision of ramps. (©) Hand compression sprayers. Capacity 15 to 20 litre, Wt. 6 to ke. (@) Charge pump with spray tanks Gi) Spray guns with lances and boom Gil) Spray nozzles (a) Taree-action adjustable pozzle (b) Circular mistrype nozzle (©) Flat fan type nozzle 4 IRC # 56-1974 iv) Hose connection and presguce plastic tubing 12.5 mm dia or suiting Taivses Connection (enough length with connectors) (99 30.em adjustable wrenen, serew driver and a plier. (vi) Strainer 30 t0 50 mesh (Wii) Kerosene (iti) Bitumen emulsion ‘The equipment should be cleaned thoroughly with kerosene or some other solvent at the close of each day's work. Failure to do $0 Will result in clogging of the equipment, thereby making delayed Cleaning somewhat more difficult. "After the bituminous emulsion is filled in the container, it is pressurised by means of a pamp upto 3.5 to 48 kgjem? which is maintained constant. The usc of higher pressures should be avoided because higher pressures generally sive rise to uneven spray pattern. 7. SLOPE TREATMENT BY VEGETATIVE TURFING USING JUTE NETTING Ithas been found that if a heavy mesh of jute fabric is firmly raid on loose earth and sowa upon with suitable grass seeds, it gives inaximum protection to the soil until the grass takes root and furnishes a permanent coverage. After the soil is thus stabilised, the nettings decompose and provide nourishment to the grass growing on 2 oll medium which hardly possesses any nutrient. The netting can hhave 2,5 to 5-cm square openings between the threads, giving the grass plenty of room to grow and at the same time providing a large Sumber of ‘check dams’ per unit area of the material. The netting Fs just rolled out on the areas to be treated and is properly secured over the ground where a concentrated flow of water is liable to ‘Sceur and where there is danger of under-cutting of the soil. The Setting is firmly secured on to the sloping surface by means of Special staples at specified intervals, Control of erosion is effected immediately after the netting is iaid. One half of the normal mount of seeding is broadcast prior to the placement of the net- fing and the other half is broadcast after the netting is in place. 8, USE OF COIR NETTING Coir netting can also be effectively used more or less on the same lines as set out in the preceding paragraph. SLOPES IN COHESIONLESS SANDS: Ina purely granular material, itis rather difficult to establish ‘vegetation’ Even if it were possible, the sand drains in-between the 5IRC : 56-1974 network of root-system are_most susceptible of being ‘piped out” or washed out, since the distant roots can hardly afford resistance to the movement of individual grains at the surface. Once the movement starts, it can become progressively unconfined and is most liable to ‘flow’. The remedial treatment is therefore to provide 0.25 m to 0.3 m thick of elayey soil (but not heavy clays) as a blanket cover- ing the slopes of the embankment, tamp it well on the slopes and subsequently provide the simple vegetative treatment recommended in para 3. If the circumstances are unfavourable for the ordinary method described in para 3, resort may be made to the use of special techniques such as those described in paras 4 to 8. 10. SLOPES IN BLACK COTTON SOILS Invariably, there does not appear to be any need for any. spe- cial treatment against erosion on black cotton soil slopes since most black cotton soil slopes are seen to promote natural growth of grass and other types of vegetation. The main problem seems to be the formation of shrinkage cracks. Therefore, it is recommended that these slopes may be managed with the simple method of providing vegetative turfing if the natural growth of grass happens to be adequate. In case the soil does not support vegetation directly, a blanket soil, 0.3 metre thick, of clayey soil (but not heavy clays) ‘should be provided to support the vegetative turfing. During the adoption of any of the techniques mentioned above, artificial watering can be resorted to if there are economic means of procuring water, in the eventuality of the monsoons proving to be very scanty and in the event of the work having to be carried out outside of the moonsoon season. 11, NEED FOR DRAINAGE Proper roadside drains should be provided to shed-off rain water which can be carried down the slopes by means of properly placed slope drains at suitable intervals. Such treatment would be Called for especially in the case of embankments which are more than 3 m in height, in addition to the provision of vegetative turfing, whereas for embankments of smaller height, the relatively inexpei sive treatment by means of simple vegetative turfing would invari- ably suffice. ‘The berms on either side of the road pavement should be given a slope of 1 in 30. IRC: 56-1974 Appendix “The following tpes of vegetation ace recommended for use on soil slopes, inrespemins oP the Spe oF soils Altitude is of course a more signet rotor. 1. PLAINS: (including altitudes upto 1500 m above sea level) Grasses & Shrubs (1) Doo Grass Cyooden Bactylon (2) Cynodon Piectostyewm (3) Chloris Gyna 4} Saesharum Spontancum ) $eit pernicious Deep rooted Perennia! (6) Sachhacuon Munja (6) Ipones Gornes (acharwin Boot) G) Lantana Species (@) Agave Americana (9) Eritherina tadica (10) Psosopis Species (11) Casuarina (U2) Goat foot ereepers MI. HILLS: Grasses & Shrubs (1) Eragrostis Curvula Love Grass (amson=-Contral Fimalaya) a) Eragrostis Superva © (ERY known Babla in Kumacn—Central Wimalayas) () Chrysopogon Mountanus Central Himalayas (4) Pennisetum Orientale Central Himalayas {5) Lolium Perrone (Rai Grass H. P, & Kumaon) 16) Pao Pratensis (above 6000 f0) (1) Imperate Cylindriea (6) Robinia Pseudoaccadia Cottings a8 well as plants (9) Kudau Vine all over unto 8000 ft (Pueraria Thungbergiane) (10) Kikuyu (Pennisetum Clandestinuim) (11) Jatropha eurcas (12) Ficus Cunea (13) Philendus cuttings (14) Lemon Grass (for use in elevations around 1900 m) aLIST OF INDIAN ROADS CONGRESS CODES & STANDARDS PRICE percopy (Postage & packing charges © ce ire: irc: 41955 IRC: 5—1970 IRC: 61966 ire: 1971 IRC: 81969 Ire; 91972 TRC: 10-1961 me: inc: IRC: 13-1967 IRC: 14-1970 IRC: 15-1970 irc: ire: IRC: 18-1965 IRC: 19-1972 IRC: 21-1972 IRC: 22-196 Route Marker Signs for National Highways (in Metcie Units) (Furst Revision) ‘Type Designs for Furlong and Boundary Stones. ‘Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for Road Bridges Section I~General Features of Design (in Metric Units) (Fourth Revision), Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for, Road. Bridges Section Il—Londs a Stresses (in Metric Units) (Second Revision) Recommended Practice for Numbering Brides fend Culverts (First Revision), ‘Type Designs for Highway Kilometre Stones ‘Birat Revision), ‘Traffic Census on Non-Urban Roads (First Revision). Recommended Practice for Borrowpits fo ‘Road Embankments Constructed. by Manva Operation (First Reprint), Recommended Practice for the Design and Layout of Cycle Tracks (First Reprint) Recommended Practice for Location and Layout ‘of Roadside Motor-Fuel Filling-Cum-Service Stations (First Revision. Recommended Practice for Location. and Layout of Roadside MotorFuel | Filing Stations (First Revision). Recommended Practice for 2 Cm, Thick ‘Bitumen and Tar Carpets (First Revision). Standard Specifications and Code of Practice or Construction of Concrete Roads (First Revision). Tentative. Sf ‘Course with Bituminous Primers, ‘Tentative Specification for Single Coat Bitumi- ‘nove Surface Dressing. Design Criteria for Prestressed Concrete Road Bridges (Post-Tensioned Concrete) (ilest Reprint. Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for ‘Water Bound Macadam (First Revision) Recommended Practice for Bituminous Penet tion Macadam (Full Grout) (First Reprint). Standard Specifications and, Code of Practice for. Road. Bridges-Section 1I1—Cement Concrete (Plain and Reinforced) (First Revision). Standard Specifications and Code of Practice for ‘Road. Bridges—Seetion VI Composite Cons- troction for Road Culverts and) Medium Span Bridges (First Reprint). So 2 6 a3 so 500 30 0