Roads, bridges, tunnels, rail tracks – they all serve us well.
Connecting us from one node to another, they enable mass movements, making daily commuting convenient and easier.
They are the drivers of brighter economies; they are the drivers of progressive, prosperous households.
But there’s also a bad side to these massive transportation infrastructure projects…
They have a serious impact on the ecosystem, most notably by causing accelerated soil erosion and sedimentation.
Like every construction project, building roads, bridges, tunnels and rail tracks involve permanent alteration of the hydrological and geomorphic settings of a landscape. These alterations disturb the surrounding soil, causing run offs that lead to increased soil erosion and sedimentation.
The impact?
Felt on many levels…
- Eroded soil particles can enter local water bodies, raising water levels. This increases chances of land indentation.
- Run offs from road construction sites can enter streams and kill aquatic life.
- Excess sedimentation in rivers and lakes increases the cost of water treatment.
- Harmful pollutants may mix up withrun offs and contaminate water bodies. This can make swimming unhealthy for children and adults.
Erosion and sediment control therefore becomes vital for transportation infrastructure projects.
Depending on the site topography, hydrology, sensitivity and extent of the project and budget, construction companies can either choose to deploy temporary or permanent erosion and sediment control devices. Regardless of whatever type of solution they may choose, it’s important that the product is environmental friendly and offers the required level of erosion control.
However, installing erosion and sediment control devices is not the only thing you should focus on as a project manager; you must also ensure these devices are regularly inspected to proactively address any issues in deployment. It’s the key to implementing a robust soil erosion and sediment control strategy at construction sites.
Every activity of ours creates an impact on the environment. As a transportation infrastructure project manager, it’s your construction and cleanup activities that produce this impact. Therefore, it’s your responsibility to make sure you are not harming the environment in any way when building roads, bridges, tunnels or rail tracks.
Interested in exploring erosion and sediment control products for your transportation infrastructure project?
At RoLanka, we manufacture and sell high quality natural erosion control products. You can shop for erosion control blankets, coir logs and matts and everything else you need to protect and preserve natural resources. For more details, visit our online store!