Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire
Area size: 3,000m²
Product: Armadillo Soft-Armour Erosion Control System
Client: Swinburne Horticulture
Architects: Balston Agius
Project Background
The redevelopment of a former Manor house near Northallerton involved the removal and profiling of several thousand tonnes of earth. This resulted in the formation of various new slopes adjacent to the new home.
Challenges
Due to the newly formed embankment’s 1:3 angle and its immediate proximity to the Manor house, any erosion control method used had to be tried and tested, yet sympathetic to the surrounding landscape.
Solution
Approached by the architects and asked to propose an alternative to traditional hard-engineering techniques as these were not practical on this occasion due to type of project, but still required something stronger than other soft-engineering methods.
The obvious choice was Armadillo Soft-Armour, offering permanent slope protection and incorporating a high performance hydromulch with no cure time, essential due to the area’s high levels of rainfall. Combined with an amenity grass seed mixture for embankments and developed by ourselves, consists of plant species that are rapid establishing and have a deep root structure.
Working with our client, the slope was graded to a smooth profile, removing the micro-contours and possible voids between the ground and TRM. Immediately after the TRM installation it was hydroseeded, ensuring the three dimensional matrix of the TRM was completely filled.
Outcome
Within just a few weeks the deep rooting grasses had germinated and establishing well. The TRM whilst not visible to the client due to the dense sward of new grass, continues to provide permanent protection to the slope.
About Armadillo Soft-Armour
Armadillo Soft-Armour is an erosion control system comprising of TRM (turf reinforcement matting), high performance hydromulch and a specially developed deep rooting grass seed mix. These three constituents used together create one of the most effective erosion control solutions of it’s type on the market. When vegetation is fully established, Armadillo Soft-Armour can withstand critical shear stress of up to 800 N/m²
Armadillo SA Erosion Control System – Case Study