RM 513

RESEARCH METHODS

Engr. John Michael Z. Campitan, CE

COURSE: MSCE-SE
 The effectiveness of Dried Water
Hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes) Woven
into Mat to Prevent Soil Erosion
INTRODUCTION

In times when torrential rains come pouring down on Earth,

water is seeped through the ground thereby making it moist,
causing it to loosen up. This gives a higher risk of probable
soil erosion. Landslides are never new to the Philippines due
to the fact that rain is present all year round. Fecund landslides
also happen not only because of this natural process but also
because of mortal deeds such as indiscriminate logging, illicit
or even licit mining, deforestation, and the like. These lead not
only to the devastation of material possessions amounting to
millions of pesos but also to the life of folks of various races
alike
INTRODUCTION

Old Churches in Laguna was built hundred years ago. Its design is not
accordance with the previous code of the National Structural Code of
the Philippines and For Sure to the Latest Code.

A new edition of the structural code, the 7th Edition of the National
Structural Code of the Philippines Volume one, was completed in
2015, almost five years since the previous code edition. This replaces
the previous edition which was the 6th Edition of the National
Structural Code of the Philippines which was adopted in 2010.
INTRODUCTION
Coping with such problems of soil erosion and landslides, there is a
necessity to tackle this dilemma by applying organic materials of
beneficial properties that can serve as substitutes for existing materials of
this type- a material that can bear the mass of soil to prevent erosion. To
date, there is an existing technology that uses coconut coir where it is
placed on top of loose soil thus preventing erosion when rain comes.
However, this existing solution of preventing soil erosion is not equitably
accessible to Laguna folks due to the great demand of these materials for
other products such as mats, bags and furniture not only in the local
community but also for worldwide consumption. This “in demand” state of
coconut fibers poses a crisis regarding the availability of the material and
would thus result to setbacks regarding mass production.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) are usually a few inches tall but
some can grow up to 3 feet tall. This aquatic plant has spongy and
sometimes inflated stalks giving it high buoyancy which makes it float.
The most anatomical feature of this plant is the presence of gas filled and
passages in its roots, leaves and rhizome. Its air chambers are large,
usually regular intercellular spaces extending through leaf and long
distances through stem.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Soil erosion can be brought about by either humans or natural processes.

Humans cause soil erosion through deforestation. Without trees, the land
cannot absorb as much rain water and soil is washed away. Effects of soil
erosions are landslides which are very common worldwide calamity, in the
Philippines in particular.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The stalks of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) are a viable natural

source of alternative textile material, according to the Department of
Science and Technology’s Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI).
Processing the fibers with polyester staples initially produced blended
yarns with 20–35 percent water hyacinth component. The stalks went
through a series of chemical and mechanical treatment to achieve the
crimp property of wool for better processing, reduce the plant’s glue-like
or gum content, and soften the fibers to make them fine and fit for knitting
and weaving into apparel and other home textiles
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study investigates the effectiveness of dried water hyacinth stalk

fabricated into a mat in preventing soil erosion.
1. Does sodium chloride and sodium metabisulfite affect the
biodegradability of water hyacinth mat?
2. Is there a significant difference in the rate of soil erosion in areas with
and without water hyacinth mat?
3. Is there a significant difference in the rate of biodegradation of water
hyacinth mat which is untreated, treated with sodium chloride, and treated
with sodium metabisulfite?
4. Is there a significant difference in the load strength of untreated and
treated water hyacinth mats?
HYPOTHESES
 
1 is hypothesis-free while problems 2, 3 and 4 are hypothesized as
follows:
2. Ha: There is a significant difference between the rate of soil erosion of
the area without water hyacinth mat and the area with water hyacinth
mat.
3. Ho: There is no significant difference in the rate of biodegradation of
water hyacinth mat which is untreated and woven into mat, treated with
sodium chloride and woven into mat, and treated with sodium
metabisulfite and woven into mat.
4. Ha: There is a significant difference between the load strength of the
treated water hyacinth mats and the untreated water hyacinth mat.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
 
If this study can prove that water hyacinth stalk can be an effective
alternative to coco coir fiber mat in terms of its efficiency in doing its
designated purpose, common and destructive environmental problems
and disasters such as soil erosion and landslide can possibly be averted. As
such, more lives and money can be saved, that, instead of using the
money for rehabilitation after the disasters, it could be used for other
more important purposes for the betterment of the country.
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
 
This study will be limited in determining the efficacy of water hyacinth
woven into mat in preventing soil erosion, and the biodegradability of
untreated water hyacinth stalk and woven into mat, treated with sodium
chloride water hyacinth stalk and woven into mat, and treated with
sodium metabisulfite water hyacinth stalk and woven into mat.