When a V/Line railway cutting in Merbein, Victoria fell into disrepair, Erizon® was called out to undertake a site visit and inspect the damage. During this visit, Erizon® noted substantial erosion that was visible at the batters, with the primary cause likely due to poor drainage that was supercharged by storm events, inappropriate cutting design, a lack of regular maintenance and potentially structurally weak soils. Thus, Erizon developed a tailored erosion control solution for the railway cuttings.
In addition to a standard site inspection, Erizon® also undertook a drone survey to generate a detailed 3D model to enable drainage modelling with a high level of accuracy and to determine the precise application area and rate for EcoArmour®.
With an abundance of native plant species that had to be carefully managed, the objective from V/Line was clear:
- Reduce adverse and ongoing degradation
- Address complaints from all stakeholders
- Implement a functioning asset for the future
After inspecting the site, the Erizon® staff noted the following project challenges:
- The project would have a short duration due to high intensity, seasonal rainfall
- They were working with a sensitive receiving environment (a tributary of the Murray River)
- Working with poor and structurally weak soils
- Necessary bridge abutment protection
- Management of native plant species
- Adhering to stringent project timelines
V/Line undertook independent, rigorous assessments for the available erosion control products on the market. Their requirements list included the following:
- Product Warranty
- Design Life
- Installation Time
- If there were any requirements for soil testing & amelioration
- If the product could be applied on top of dispersive soils
- If earthworks were required prior to the application of the product
- If plantation was required
- What the ongoing maintenance costs would be
- If the product was able to offer resistance to hydraulic forces and the impact of raindrops
- What the cost would be (supply & install)
At the conclusion of the independent assessments, the results were presented to V/Line by consulting engineers, and Erizon® was chosen as the preferred contractor to supply and apply our robust erosion control blanket (EcoArmour®) for different erosion zones within their site.
Why did they choose EcoArmour®?
EcoArmour®’s innovative synthetic erosion control blanket stabilises surfaces for 20+ years while providing a product warranty and guarantee. With no surface preparation works required prior to the application, EcoArmour® can be applied without testing and rectifying underlying soils and can be applied directly on top of dispersive soils.
With minimal ongoing maintenance costs, EcoArmour® can be applied quickly, utilising our specialist HydroRigs – and will dry within three hours of application. Compared to conventional alternatives like concrete matting and Shotcrete, EcoArmour® stands alone as a cost-effective solution that can withstand strong hydraulic forces.
From start to finish, Erizon® handled this project with a focus on utilising advanced technology to deliver our promise of “Supply, Apply, Guarantee®” and execute a plan specifically designed for erosion control on railway cuttings.
