Compost and Wood Chips with Tackifier for Erosion Control

Beverly B. Storey and Jett A. McFalls

Due to legislative mandates, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Environmental Management Program investigated the use of compost and wood chips with tackifier as erosion control measures. Testing was conducted at the TxDOT/TTI Hydraulics and Erosion Control Laboratory in a simulated highway environment. Three materials were tested with two soil conditions on a 1:3 slope: compost, wood chips with a granular polyacrylamide tackifier, and wood chips with a hydrophilic colloid tackifier. Rain simulations for one-year, two-year, and five-year storm intensities provided data relative to each material’s sediment retention performance. Vegetative density coverage data was also collected. Results from preliminary trials suggest that compost and wood chips with tackifier are promising as effective erosion control measures. They outperformed some commercial rolled erosion control materials in vegetation establishment and slope protection at a potentially lower cost.

Keywords: Recycling, erosion control, compost, wood mulch, storm water management