Controlling Erosion on Landfill Sites

Townsville Council in northern Queensland is dedicated to ensuring a sustainable future for its precinct, by placing importance on the protection and enhancement of its unique, natural and built environment and is committed to reducing impacts on these systems. Rehabilitation is a staged process and takes time to ensure it is undertaken properly and in accordance with industry guidelines.

Council has commenced rehabilitation of the Picnic Bay Landfill site in 2016. This has involved shaping the landfill and placing a temporary clay cap on the mound to prevent the exposure of the waste via erosion of the landfill surface and to prevent seepage into waterways and nearby bushland. The temporary cap had to be protected and stabilised immediately to prevent erosion. A durable system was required due to very high to extreme UV index.

During the capping stage, the state was in Level 3 water restrictions, so Council had opted to use a synthetic erosion control matting to stabilise the surface in lieu of the typical grass seeding approach. The synthetic matting does not need water and delivers instant erosion protection, while grass seeding would require a 12- week water-intensive establishment period.

After detailed consideration, the synthetic erosion control matting selected was LANDLOK® 450 Turf Reinforcement Mat (TRM). LANDLOK® 450 TRM delivers instant erosion protection and is easier and quicker to install, does not need water, while grass seeding would require a 12- week water-intensive establishment period.

LANDLOK® 450 Turf Reinforcement Mat (TRM) features X3® technology that consists of a dense web of crimped, interlocking, multi-lobed polypropylene fibres positioned between two biaxially oriented nets and mechanically bound together by parallel stitching with polypropylene thread. Every component of LANDLOK® 450 is stabilised against chemical and ultraviolet degradation. LANDLOK® 450 TRM contains no biodegradable components.

Being highly resistant against UV, LANDLOK® 450 can be used on its own as a stand-alone system and can be exposed for arid and semi-arid areas, or as a turf reinforcement system in wet areas to improve seedling emergence and hydraulic performance of the vegetated system by reinforcing roots and stems.

LANDLOK® TRM is a permanent erosion control solution for slopes, drainage channels and waterways and a successful green replacement for traditional hard-armour systems. This TRM is designed to accelerate seedling emergence, exhibit high resiliency, and possess strength and elongation properties to limit stretching in a saturated condition. High tensile strength and resiliency of LANDLOK® 450 makes this product durable during maintenance works such as mowing.

LANDLOK® 450 is just one example of how our innovative products can be adapted to suit the applications and environments unique characters and circumstances.