Controlling Erosion on a Steep Hillside with Landscape Fabric, Jute ...

As I mentioned a few days ago, we’re getting a pool. However, my backyard is pretty sloped. As a result, we had to install a retaining wall at one end of the pool so that we could sink that end of the pool down below grade by a few fees, while the opposite corner of the pool required quite a bit of backfill.

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This has left us with a steep bank – too steep to mow or walk on safely – but one where we cannot allow any significant erosion or the dirt will wash out from under the back corner of the pool deck.

After a bit of research, I settled on the following combination of materials to try to stabilize and maintain this hillside.

1. Landscape fabric is the first layer of defense. The landscape fabric accomplishes two things: it stops water from being able to run down the bank and carry off a bunch of dirt and it will also help slow the growth of weeds which will be difficult to deal with on this steep bank if they get out of control.
2. Jute netting stretched tight and fastened to the bank with 6″ landscape staples. This will provide further protection from runoff and also give the junipers and ground covering material a surface to hold onto.
3. Blue rug junipers planted approximately six feet (2 meters) apart. Eventually, each should grow to roughly six feet by six feet (2 meters by two meters) meaning eventually the entire bank should be covered in junipers. That will take a few years though. I planted twenty junipers already and need about ten more to finish this part of the project but Lowe’s it sold out at the moment.
4. Mulch or pine straw will eventually be installed over the jute. I haven’t decided which to use. Mulch will last longer and provide better protection to the bank. However, pine straw costs less and is a lot easier to install. In the end, I will probably use pine straw at first, for the sake of speed, and then cover it with mulch in the Spring or Summer.
5. Resin dig-in edging runs along the base of the bank to provide a clear point of separation between the bed and lawn. The raised edge of the resin edging will also help keep the mulch or pine straw from washing out into the lawn. Now that it’s installed, I’m not particularly thrilled with the look of this product, but I think it will get the job done and it’s already in the ground so I’m sticking with it for now.

I’m nearing the end of getting these various erosion control measures in place. The landscape fabric and jute netting are in place. Most of the junipers have been planted, all but about 10 feet of the resin edging have been installed. At this point all I have left is to plant about 10 more junipers (once I find them), finish digging in the last 10 feet of edging, and then spread a few inches of mulch or pine straw across the hillside. Then I’ll be ready to move on to the next step: installing the fence around the pool deck.

I think the measures I’ve put in place will stabilize this bank just fine. We’ve had quite a bit of rain since I planted the junipers and installed the landscape fabric and already that seemed to do the trick. So I feel pretty confident that the full combination of measures will be more than enough. However, if these measures do prove to be insufficient, the next option is to build a retaining wall at the bottom of the hill and to backfill a bunch of dirt inside the retaining wall. Hopefully we can avoid that scenario because it’ll carry a pretty painful price tag.

Update: August

This post was originally written in December . It’s been roughly 20 months since that post and I wanted to provide an update on how this project turned out.

The jute netting did a great job of preventing erosion and providing a surface for mulch to hold onto. It lasted roughly a year and then started to break apart. At this point, the jute netting is effectively gone, but the hillside is stabilized and the junipers I planted have had enough time to become established.

All things considered, I’ve very happy with how this project turned out and with the performance of the jute netting. My only dissatisfaction is with my own lack of weeding to keep up the appearance of this hillside.

What is slope stabilisation?

Slope soil stabilisation is the process of improving the stability of an existing unstable slope, or prevention of instability in new slopes. This ensures that the slope has a sufficiently high Factor of Safety to support loads that are applied to it. Slope stabilisation can be accomplished through a variety of methods, including the use of earth retaining walls and soil reinforcement solutions.

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Soil reinforcement explained

Soil reinforcement improves the stiffness, strength and bearing capacity of soils using geotechnical engineering techniques. Historically natural fibres were used, however now mechanically synthesised fibrous materials such as geosynthetics (including geogrids) are used to improve land where chances of erosion are high. 

Slope Reinforcements up to 45° Face Angle

Slopes with a face angle up to 45° can be stabilised by incorporating Tensar geogrid slope stabilisation methods. Our reinforcing geogrids will be laid horizontally back from the slope face in layers. The strength, spacing and length of the geogrids will depend upon the slope angle, fill material properties and any surcharge loading. No structural facing components are usually required, which allows the face to be trimmed back to the final batter. In some cases an erosion protection mat may be installed, before seeding or planting to establish vegetation. 

The TensarTech Natural Green slope reinforcement system is quick and simple to install, requiring no specialist skills. By incorporating topsoil zones behind the face structure in the design, a ‘green’ face is possible using selected plants suited to the local conditions to create a fully vegetated face.

Slope Reinforcements up to 70° Face Angle

Steeper reinforced earth slopes, with a face angle up to 70° require support at the face as well as internal stabilisation. The TensarTech GreenSlope system uses soil reinforcement geogrids for slope stabilisation, securely connected to system-specific welded steel mesh facing components. As a fully integrated slope reinforcement system, TensarTech GreenSlope structures are easy to install, and the modular nature of the system enables rapid construction using non-specialist skills, in most cases without the need for heavy lifting equipment or external propping.    

The wide base of the reinforced earth slope means bearing pressure is low and foundations are often unnecessary, significantly reducing costs by as much as 70% compared to concrete retaining walls. Costs can be further reduced by the use of locally available backfill materials – including recycled and site-won materials. 

Benefits of TensarTech  Slope Stabilisation Systems

TensarTech Earth Retaining Systems offer long-term, proven design stability, with a design life of up to 120 years. Their simple construction reduces cost and build times, can use site-won materials for structural fill and offers reduced foundation requirements – in some cases, requiring no foundation required at all.  

Our reinforced slope stabilisation systems also provide aesthetically appealing, ‘green’ facing options, using selected planting to suit local conditions and including easy creation of complex or curved geometry.  Additionally, most systems require neither crane lifts nor temporary propping, and they offer high resistance to dynamic and seismic loading. 

TensarTech’s easy-to-install reinforced earth slope systems use a combination of soil reinforcement geogrids securely connected to facing components. Using Tensar’s highly durable geogrid slope reinforcement reduces costs by using backfill materials – including cohesive soils, recycled and site-won materials. 

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