5 OctErosion Control Matting
What is Erosion Control Matting?
Erosion control matting is a rolled erosion control product, also known as an erosion control blanket. Rolled erosion control products stabilize the soil in order to mitigate erosion and provide an environment for vegetation to establish.
The term Erosion Control Blanket is broadly used to cover a range of different rolled erosion control products. Erosion Control Blanket is often used interchangeably with Erosion Control Matting, Jute Mat, Jute Mesh, and other brand or material specific terms.
There are a few ways to distinguish the different types of erosion control matting. At Colonial Construction Materials, we generally categorize ours as Erosion Control Blankets and Turf Reinforcement Mats.
Each rolled erosion blanket offers different levels of erosion protection and longevity, as determined by the blanket’s material composition.
Erosion Control Blanket vs. Turf Reinforcement Mat
The greatest difference between an Erosion Control Blanket and a Turf Reinforcement Mat is service life.
An Erosion Control Blanket is a temporary erosion control product. These blankets can last anywhere from 12 – 36 months depending on site and soil conditions.
A Turf Reinforcement Mat is a permanent erosion control blanket. This group of blankets is designed to provide permanent protection for severe site and soil conditions.
Each rolled erosion control product is manufactured from different natural or engineered fibers that are stitched or crimped to a net. The durability of material and the strength of the net affects the erosion control matting’s service life.
For example, Straw Blanket is a popular choice for temporary erosion control blankets. Agricultural straw fiber is budget friendly, holds moisture well and promotes rapid germination of seedlings. When straw fibers are stitched to one or two nettings to create a Straw Blanket, the resulting rolled erosion control product supports vegetation and controls erosion on mild slopes. Straw Blanket, however, is not as durable as other erosion control blankets and will be displaced in strong rain events.
A Turf Reinforcement Mat, however, can withstand greater stress and channel flow. These rolled erosion control products are manufactured from a synthetic fibers that result in a permanent high-performance product. Some Turf Reinforcement Mats, like American Excelsior’s TriNet® Series are made from natural materials like coconut fiber. These permanent erosion control blankets are strengthened by a third net which increases the erosion control mattings durability and longevity.
Short Term, Long Term and Permanent Erosion Control Matting
Erosion Control Blankets are specified for temporary applications while Turf Reinforcement Mats provide a permanent erosion control solution.
Erosion Blankets can be further sub-divided into short-term, long-term and permanent blankets.
| Short Term Erosion Blankets | Long Term Erosion Blankets | Permanent Erosion Blankets |
|---|---|---|
| Curlex Net Free | Straw/Coconut Blanket | Recyclex TRMs |
| Curlex I (Single Net) | 100% Coconut Blanket | TriNet Series TRMs |
| Single Net Straw Blanket | Curlex II (Double Net) | |
| Double Net Straw Blanket |
Short Term Erosion Control Matting
Short-Term Erosion Control Blankets include Straw Blankets and Single Net Curlex® Blankets. This group of erosion mats can last up to 18 months (depending on soil and site conditions) and are applicable for mild to moderate slopes.
Curlex NetFree
Curlex® NetFree is our only erosion control matting without any netting. This blanket doesn’t tangle in lawn mowers or equipment which makes it ideal for residential and commercial applications that need erosion protection but won’t be subject to high sheer stress or channel flow.
Single Net Straw Blanket
Single Net Straw Blanket is our most popular erosion matting for base-level erosion protection for flat to mild slopes. This cost-effective erosion blanket is made from agricultural weed-free and seed-free straw. Single Net Straw Blanket is offered with synthetic (degradable) or 100% biodegradable netting.
Double Net Straw Blanket
Double Net Straw Blanket is a step-up from its single net counterpart. This matting is composed of 100% seed-free and weed-free agricultural straw and has a second layer of netting. Double Net Straw Blanket is offered with a degradable synthetic netting or a 100% biodegradable netting.
Curlex I
Single Net Curlex® is made from American Excelsior’s patented Aspen wood fibers, also known as excelsior. This temporary erosion blanket has the greatest longevity of the temporary blankets and can withstand the greatest stress and channel flow.
Short Term Erosion Matting Performance Properties
| Curlex Net Free | Single Net Straw | Natural Single Net Straw | Double Net Straw | Natural Double Net Straw | Curlex I | Natural Curlex I | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longevity | up to 18 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 12 months | up to 18 months | up to 18 months |
| Permissible Shear Stress | 1.0 lb/ft² | 1.55 lb/ft² | 1.55 lb/ft² | 1.75 lb/ft² | 1.75 lb/ft² | 1.75 lb/ft² | 1.75 lb/ft² |
| Slope | up to 3:1 | up to 3:1 | up to 3:1 | up to 2:1 | up to 2:1 | up to 2:1 | up to 2:1 |
| Degradability | biodegradable | photodegradable | biodegradable | photodegradable | biodegradable | photodegradable | biodegradable |
Long Term Erosion Blankets
Long-Term Blankets include Double Net Curlex® Blankets, Straw/Coconut Blankets and Coconut Erosion Control Blankets. This group of erosion control mats can last up to 36 months – but are not as permanent as the Turf Reinforcement Mats.
Straw/Coconut Blanket
Straw/Coconut Erosion Mats are a combination of 70% agricultural straw and 30% coconut fibers. The blend of fibers is sandwiched in between two nettings. Those nettings can be either polypropylene or 100% biodegradable netting.
Curlex II
Curlex® II is made from the same clean and curled Aspen wood fibers as Curlex® I and Curlex® NetFree™. This mat, however, has two layers of netting – either degradable polypropylene netting or 100% biodegradable fiber netting.
Coconut Blanket
Coconut Blanket is the strongest and most durable Erosion Control Blanket. 100% Coconut Blanket is a double-net erosion control matting made entirely of strong coconut fibers. This blanket is also offered with degradable polypropylene netting or 100% biodegradable fiber netting.
Long Term Erosion Blanket Performance Properties
| Straw/Coconut | Natural Straw/Coconut | Curlex II | Natural Curlex II | 100% Coconut | Natural 100% Coconut | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longevity | up to 24 months | up to 24 months | up to 24 months | up to 24 months | up to 36 months | up to 36 months |
| Permissible Shear Stress | 2.0 lb/ft² | 2.0 lb/ft² | 2.25 lb/ft² | 2.25 lb/ft² | 2.25 lb/ft² | 2.25 lb/ft² |
| Slope | up to 1.5:1 | up to 1.5:1 | up to 1.5:1 | up to 1.5:1 | up to 1:1 | up to 1:1 |
| Degradability | photodegradable | biodegradable | photodegradable | biodegradable | photodegradable | biodegradable |
Turf Reinforcement Mats | Permanent Erosion Blankets
Turf Reinforcement Mats, also known as Permanent Erosion Control Blankets, include Recyclex® TRMs and TriNet-Series Mats.
Recyclex Turf Reinforcement Mats
Recyclex® TRM is a permanent non-degradable turf reinforcement mat made from 100% post-consumer recycled bottles. The recycled bottles turned fibers are curled and crimped to interlock (like the Curlex® fibers) and create a strong matting that has a high capacity for sheer stress and channel flow. Recyclex® TRM-V is covered with a heavy-duty polypropylene netting on the top and bottom and Recyclex® TRM has an extra heavy duty polypropylene net on the top and a standard heavy duty polypropylene net on the bottom. Both turf reinforcement mats have a specific gravity greater than 1.0 which means the blanket will not float during hydraulic events.
TriNet Series
The TriNet Turf Reinforcement Mats are a three-dimensional mats with three nets; one on top, one in the middle and one on the bottom. The top two layers of netting feature an ultra heavy duty polypropylene net and the bottom layer has a super heavy duty net. The fill matrix can be either Recyclex® fibers, Curlex® fibers, Straw/Coconut fibers or 100% Coconut matting. The nets and erosion matting are sewn together to create a strong and lasting permanent erosion blanket.
Turf Reinforcement Mat Performance Properties
| Recyclex TRM-V | Recyclex TRM | TriNet Straw/Coconut | TriNet Coconut | TriNet Curlex | TriNet Recyclex | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longevity | permanent | permanent | permanent | permanent | permanent | permanent |
| Permissible Shear Stress | 8.0 lb/ft² | 10.0 lb/ft² | 10.0 lb/ft² | 12.0 lb/ft² | 13.0 lb/ft² | 14.0 lb/ft² |
| Slope | up to 0.5:1 | up to 0.5:1 | up to 0.5:1 | up to 0.5:1 | up to 0.5:1 | up to 0.5:1 |
| Degradability | non-degradable | non-degradable | non-degradable | non-degradable | non-degradable | non-degradable |
How do you pick the right erosion control matting?
With so many products to choose from, it may be difficult to decide what solution your construction project needs.
If you need assistance with choosing the right erosion blanket for a bid or purchase, contact our sales team. We can provide a product recommendation based on your project plans, site conditions and DOT requirements.
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