If you plan to create a compact body of water in a suburban area or the site has access to a river or a natural pond, then sooner or later you will face the task of preserving the banks, which is explained by the tendency to shed them. This process is natural and contributes to the loss of the shape of the reservoir and its siltation. In the end, a picturesque corner can turn into a swamp.
Problem Solving
In order to tame the water element, care must be taken to ensure that the banks are strengthened. If you neglect these rules, then this will provoke subsidence of the soil and its partial collapse. These processes can become dangerous for humans and their housing, as well as plants and some elements of the landscape. For this reason, experts recommend timely implementation of preventive measures aimed at strengthening the coastline.
Materials used
Strengthening the banks can be carried out by different methods and materials. If the pond has a gentle shore, then for work you can use:
- geogrid;
- coconutmats;
- Reno mattresses.
The first version of the material is one of the most effective. A geogrid is a three-dimensional structure made of polymer tapes, which are fastened into cells and arranged in a checkerboard pattern. During operation, the grating is stretched along the slope and fixed with anchors. The cells should be filled with crushed stone or soil, and then planted with plants, their roots will provide additional reinforcement.
Strengthening the shores is often carried out also with coconut mats. This technology is applicable to the banks of the pond, the bottom of which is made of film. The material has a characteristic dark color and is able to hide the film base when the water level drops. Among other things, the polymer structure is favorable for the germination of moisture-loving flora, which acts as a soil reinforcement and decorative design. The technology for laying mats is quite simple.
Alternative solutions
Strengthening the shores can be done with the help of special mattresses, they are made of metal mesh, which is twisted 2 times and coated with zinc or polymer. In order for the structure to be sufficiently rigid, it is divided into sections by internal diaphragms. The sections are filled with natural stones, which makes it possible to achieve the strength of a monolithic structure. Over time, the characteristics of the type of permeability and strength only increase, which is explained by the germination of vegetation through the cells.
The structure of mattresses is slatted, air and water pass through it, whichmakes the structure resistant to decay. Thanks to this, the service life exceeds 25 years. Coastal strengthening using this technology is usually carried out on impressive areas. The material is able to protect the shore from erosive processes and acts as the basis for retaining walls. Mattresses are flexible and can be shaped as desired during installation.
Materials for strengthening steep slopes
If the shore of the pond on the territory of your site is characterized by a steep slope, then the following materials can be used to strengthen:
- retaining walls;
- wood piles;
- gabions.
The reservoir on the site will be securely fortified in the shore area if retaining walls are used. Their construction is usually carried out from:
- ready blocks;
- stone;
- wood;
- brick.
This option can completely change the perception of the pond and significantly expand its space. The walls are strong, they resist the subsidence of the soil and its erosion. These technologies are relevant if there is a need for vertical planning of the coastline zone. Quite often, the installation of retaining walls is carried out on foundations, which are piles or Reno lattice structures. When the ground is excessively mobile and loose, the height of the retaining wall should not be less than one meter.
The reservoir on the site, as mentioned above, can be strengthened in the shore area with wooden piles. On theIn practice, they are used, despite the fact that reinforced concrete products have the greatest strength. For the manufacture of wooden piles, the most durable types of wood such as larch and oak are used. The service life of such structures reaches 50 years.
If a steep bank is decorated with such trunks, then it will look very effective. When using reinforced concrete piles, it is possible to achieve high strength of the fence, but such a system will look dull and gray. Before you strengthen the coast, you need to choose a technology. One of them is the method of using gabion structures. These are massive blocks that are filled with stone materials like cobblestones or pebbles. Gabions have a mesh structure, so they are resistant to groundwater and soil mobility. The service life of gabions can reach 80 years, and their strength only increases over the years.
Strengthening river banks with plants
The river bank can also be strengthened using plants for this. They must have a sufficiently powerful branched root system that will be resistant to flooding. This method is acceptable only in cases where the speed of the river flow is not more than 1 m per second, while the waves do not exceed 0.3 m.
- black poplar;
- amorphous;
- marsh iris;
- mannik;
- sea buckthorn;
- air.
Aquatic vegetationplanted in the underwater zone, in this case, you can use the water iris. As soon as the landing has been carried out, sodding should be carried out.
Technology for strengthening the shore using a geogrid
To carry out the work, it is necessary to prepare the following tools and materials:
- non-woven geotextile;
- rubble;
- shovel;
- pneumatic stapler;
- geogrid;
- frost-resistant concrete;
- scraper;
- anchors.
Geogrid for strengthening is one of the most effective. Work should begin with surface preparation. First you need to remove the surface soil, and then level the base and lay a non-woven geotextile, which will serve as a drainage layer. A geogrid is laid on the surface, which is stretched and fixed with staggered anchors.
The geogrid should take the shape of a rectangle. The modules are fastened together with a pneumatic stapler and anchors. The cells should be filled with soil material such as frost-resistant concrete, crushed stone or soil. If you want to make the design non-standard or please your eye, then you should fill in the cells with multi-colored materials.
Coconut mat reinforcement technology
You can strengthen the banks of the pond with the help of mats. The material is laid from the coastline. It doesn't need to be stretched. The lower part is placed down 0.5 m. The upper partfixed on land with reinforcement. The mat must be fixed to the film with a water-repellent mounting adhesive. In order to fasten the surface joints, an overlap of 20 cm should be used. The overlap should be on the side that is not visible.
The top mat is covered with plant substrate, and the one submerged in water should be covered with fine gravel or sand. The strengthening of the coastline should be accompanied by the laying of artificial or natural stone. If this is not possible, then vegetation should be used. Flora will act as a decorative element, fringing the shore.
Using biological methods
Biological methods allow you to get a delayed result, but are among the most durable and reliable. It is possible to prevent overgrowing and silting of the pond by planting Siberian larch. Its trunks, being in water for a long time, do not show a tendency to rot, they are resistant to frost. There is no point in mentioning their strength and durability. The trunks are environmentally friendly, their presence in the water does not violate the ecosystem of the reservoir. If bank protection is carried out in this way, then additional care for larch will not be required.
Conclusion
Many landowners, arranging a pond in a suburban area, are wondering when it is necessary to carry out bank protection work. Experts believe that these manipulations should be carried out at the stage of arranging the pit. If you own a natural body of water, then preventive strengthening measures should bebe carried out in a short time when there is a threat of coastal destruction. If measures are taken in a timely manner, this will prevent destruction and save on repair measures.
