This paper describes how the Rapid increase in human population continues to increase the demand for construction of highways and bridges. Clearing more land to meet this need can destroy wildlife habitat. "Do it right the first time" should be the slogan for restoring this habitat. Proper design, selecting the appropriate products and proper installation are critical for success of any such environmental restoration work. Failure of any restoration project entails not only the cost of reconstruction, but can also create irreversible habitat damage, especially to aquatic systems. This, in turn, can lead to extremely expensive problems, such as flooding. Soil bioengineering plays a big role in protecting and improving areas surrounding highway construction projects. This technique uses strong, natural and biodegradable products to establish sustainable vegetation. Sustainable mature vegetation is the key to a balanced ecosystem and provides a permanent solution to accelerated erosion problems. Products made of coconut fiber (coir), an abundant natural resource, offer unique features to support establishment of sustainable mature vegetation. They are strong and biodegrade slowly. Also, they can be made into a variety of quality products to protect soil and support vegetation establishment. This paper will describe natural products that are available for soil bioengineering applications. Also, it will present important factors to consider when installing these products and it will describe some field applications.
Samenvatting