MINISTRY OF LAND, INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT, JAPAN MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION, TRANSPORT, POST AND CONSTRUCTION, LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE - Japan,Background In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, public property and assets have rapidly become concentrated in te city of Vientiane, and hence there isan urgent need for protection against the threat of the Mekong River. Riverbank protection works with gabion boxes were actively carried out with foreign assistance in the 1990’, and yet some reaches suffered damage within a few years after completion, possibly due to inadequacy of the foundation and foot protection works. ‘The Soda-mattress (Fascine-matress) system was introduced Z = and developed in Japan in the early years of the Meiji era ee atepdaece (1868-1912), and was extensively used for groins and dyke- ra Ft n. Brushwood, twigs and stones are the principal foot protect materials of Soda-mattresses. These materials and relevant ‘equipment are readily available locally Laos, and so the Soda-mattress system could be a suitable and sustainable method of riverbank protection in Laos.Soda-mattress Distinctive Features of Soda-mattress a) Soda-mattresses are so flexible that they ean change shape and follow the riverbed er Third 1a Upperatice SHemnd st ay raat eeine ‘changes, and are thus effective for riverbank fascine foot protection. +b) Materials are readily available locally. ) Soda-mattresses can be fabr sizes according to the site terrain ated in various 4) Since native plants and stones are used. Soda-mattresses do not contaminate the Lower latice natural environment, and their highly porous aioe structure creates habitats for small fis of spread fascine Ballast stones ‘tructure creates habitats for small fish. ie ‘Sodamalvess| Materials for Soda-mattress ‘The Soda-mattress is primarily assembled with brushwood and twigs of wild growth, 1e brushwood)’, “Taisha (Tie-twigs)’, “Kogui (Short piles)’ and nd rubble stones. ‘The main materials are “Soda (Fa ‘Sekizai (Rubble stones)’. Their main features are summarized below. Main Soda Taisha materials (Fascine brushwood) (Tie-tw Pt Prope! | Hard and strong tree unit-bundles | le ble aint iongh trons bintiions ob Lar | gees eer Upper and lower L: Shigarakaki fences Applied members Giana hurdles) Typical Photos ind Dimensions Main Kogui Sekizai materials. (Short piles) (Rubble stones) Properties Light and strong trees | Hard and heavy rocks 0 30 ~ 50mm XL 1.2m 0 50 ~ 400mm Shigarakaki fence fixatio linking upper and lower Lattices Applied members Weighting ballast Typical PhotosPanoramic View of the Pilot Project (March 2001) “The stratum around the foot ofthe riverbank at the project site consists of loosely cemented silty-sand and gravel, and. hence fine materials are steadily sucked out us a result of navigation waves, effusing groundwater, and running river ‘water. The notches that have already formed will gradually develop and cause the upper solidified silty clay layer to collapse. ‘Grass actnal view at (0-150) ‘ross sectional view at (420) Various structures are designed and integrated to overcome the problem, D Rensai-s igara, to protect the bank-foot against notchformation due to exfoliation and scouring, and to prevent the collapse of the upper layer Gabion-box, to protect the whole bank-slope against weatheri -xfoliation, and scouting, Foot-protection Soda-mattress, to protect the riverbed immediately in front of the Rensai-shigara and Gubion-box against scouring. 4 Groin in the vicinity of the bank Soxla-mattress, to deflect the flow direction, to reduce the flow velocity, and thus to encourage sedimentationoO STRUC Collecting Soda Materials Wood materials 0 od quality were collected from field habitats within a radius ‘of 40km from the project site, Rubble stones were transported to a temporary shipping yard by dump trucks from a quarry 40km distant Bundling Fascine Renal (Brushwood bundles) of =6:8m and 10.5m were bunched up by ti-twigs ton the bundling frame at the temporary assembly yard, located Skm upstream of the site Fabricating Soda-mattress Sod-narrsses wensiibieead under tte uidance ofa Japanese soda-specialist atthe assembly yard ‘The mattress per day. However, they needed the soda-specialist’s assistance a little am of two Laotian staff and ten workers produced two sets of soda longer forthe Shigarakaki work, which requires advanced skill Brieen Framing lower lati wih oundes fascies ‘Spreading 3 ayers of lose fascne Linking woper sr lowe aticas Halldriving of S80" piles: : ‘Stigarakek "Assembled Sode-matiross unis \tartng of thesis)Installing Soda-mattress The working yard behind the bank atthe project site was severely restricted making it inconvenient to stack the assembled Soda-mattresses, as well as to ‘operate the relevant equipment. ‘The Soxla-mattresses were installed afloat with a crawler erane, mounted on 4 floating-dock barge owned by the Vientiane Port Authority, and idly moored ‘lone at the port. The Soda-matiresses were shipped on a material barge from the fansported by water, and transshipped on the Toating- = a= on = gis #-o5n | 8 24 2 -veraged s 05 nat (h=1-12m) f 20 160 0 0B ee Fiver Flow VelosyDistibulanin Flood Season iver Few Velosy Ostbaionn Dry SeasonChildren gather fer jshing and duimmiog near te where the Seda-mattresses were installed. a SS SS SS ST Pilot Project for Riverbank Protection on the Mekong (Soda-mattress System) INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE - Japan ‘New Kojimachi Blig., 5-3-23, Kojimachi odla-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Tel: +81-3-3263-7920 Fax: +81-3-32 Url: bupsfwwe«:idiior jp! E-mail: 2bu06@idi.orjp