ENGINEERED WOOD COMPOSITE EROSION CONTROL MATERIAL

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: SMALL BUSINESS GRANT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0206439
• Grant No.: 2006-33610-16763
• Proposal No.: 2006-00171
• Project Start Date: May 1, 2006
• Project End Date: Dec 31, 2007
• Grant Year: 2006
• Program Code: [8.4]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
RESTORATION TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
(N/A)
SILVER CITY,NM 88061

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
Durable, economical, and highly functional erosion control materials for use in high stress, arid and semi-arid environments are not generally available. And, few uses exist for value-added products made from woody residuals created by small-diameter forest thinning and wildland/urban interface fuels reduction operations. The project will create a durable erosion control system using the lowest value woody residual, providing an erosion control solution for land managers while creating a market for unusable wooody biomass.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
104	0110	2020	50%
511	0650	2020	50%

Knowledge Area
511 - New and Improved Non-Food Products and Processes; 104 - Protect Soil from Harmful Effects of Natural Elements;

Subject Of Investigation
0110 - Soil; 0650 - Wood and wood products;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;

Keywords

woody biomass

erosion control

wood

chip

biomass

Goals / Objectives
Restoration Technologies, LLC, is going to develop a unique erosion control system (called Zerosion) that will provide improved erosion control technology while using the lowest value, most difficult to manage portion of woody residual created by small-diameter forest thinning and wildland/urban interface fuels reduction operations. In the commercial application, non-flammable, inorganic binders will be used to "cement" woody residual in a crust on an area susceptible to sheet erosion. A combined stream of wood and binder will be blown onto the area to approximately 1 or 2 inch thickness using a modified bark blower. Phase I of this project will determine whether a bound-wood erosion control material made with low-value forest thinning and fuels reduction residues is technically viable. The primary measurement will be assessing sediment loss versus woody material properties, binder formulation, binder content, and application methods. Specific technical objectives include the following: 1. Evaluate inorganic, mineral-based binder efficacy 2. Determine the impacts of waste wood type, size, moisture, and contamination on the erosion control efficacy of the bound wood material 3. Assess effect of application parameters such as applied material thickness and binder content 4. Assess effect of placement techniques (hand application and blowing applications) on material performance 5. Quantify the effect of including cement additives such as fly-ash Define performance criteria for evaluating this material: 6. Physical properties such as bonding, sediment loss, permeability, and water absorption are the primary properties believed to be critical. These properties will be compared to the existing standards for erosion control materials to help determine the competitive advantages of the composite. 7. Subjective properties such as the ability to mix and apply this composite material to exposed slopes and other erosion prone surfaces. 8. Determine whether Zerosion is capable of supporting vegetation (rudimentary testing)

Project Methods
Each of the technical objectives will be addressed sequentially and systematically through the use of experimental design techniques, specifically, design of experiments (D.O.E.) techniques. Evaluation of binder formulae and woody biomass quality impacts will be conducted using 2-level screening experiments in which each variable is given a high and low value and a matrix is constructed to allow for analysis using fractional factorials. Strength testing of the bound-wood material in block form will be done following ASTM C1018-97 for 3-point flexural testing. Due to the low strength requirements of they applied system, subjective measures of composite integrity, such as friability and stability, will be used as the material cures on an inclined slope. The erosion control capability of Zerosion will be tested using methods modified from the Texas Department of Transportation. Sediment test beds at varying inclines will be constructed, lined with geotextile, and filled with appropriate soil. Zerosion will be applied to the surface of the test bed and allowed to cure for a predetermined time period. Rainfall simulation will be conducted. All sediment run-off is collected in a tank at the base of the sediment beds. Samples of the sediment will be tested to determine the water to sediment ratio. This value provides the information required for evaluating the performance of the erosion control material. Establishing the ability of Zerosion to support vegetation presents many challenges, the largest being the short time frame for the work to be undertaken. This work will be done to show land managers that plant growth can be established, but it will not be as technically rigorous as is needed for final product commercialization. Analysis of vegetative cover will be based on the average percent of surface cover achieved in standard nursery flats (12 in. x 18 in. at a 2:1 slope) covered with the erosion control material and seeded with the recommended vegetative species, such as Sideoats and Blue Grama, Galetta, Sand Dropseed, and Weeping Lovegrass. Due to the period of the grant, an abbreviated growing cycle of 60 days will be used for evaluation purposes. Vegetative coverage will be assessed by photographing the flats, applying an analysis grid, recording coverage within each grid segment, and averaging the results. This will be considered a preliminary analysis, establishing that the material will support vegetation to some degree and provide a starting point for further work in Phase II.

Progress 05/01/06 to 12/31/07

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Phase I research into the technical feasibility of creating a engineered wood composite erosion control material has been completed. Through a series of lab studies, a binder was selected based on cost, environmental impact, and performance. A rainfall simulator test bed was constructed and used to develop erosion control performance data. PARTICIPANTS: Zeecha Brooks acted as the PI for this project. She directed project work, conducted research, and performed administrative tasks. Gordon West was the production manager on the project. He designed and constructed the equipment needed for the project, as well as conducted the larger scale lab tests. Collaborators included individuals from the Forest Service, N.M. Environment Department, Weber Engineering, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Nature Conservancy. These individuals observed trials and provided vital feedback on the research approach. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The assumption made in the proposal that a standard bark blower would work to apply the erosion control material resulted in a significant project delay. Mechanical modifications and a subsequent change in the technology ultimately resulted in a successful application of the material using a blower system; however, a no-cost extension was needed to provide the additional time required to do this work.

Impacts
An effective erosion control material has been developed using an inorganic cement and low to negative value biomass materials. A series of experiments were conducted to identify the binder, resulting in the selection of magnesium oxychloride (magnesite) cement for performance and economic considerations. A variety of woody materials were used and even the least uniform, lowest quality materials were easily bound in an erosion control matrix. Development of the application equipment is a key to commercializing the erosion control material (Zerosion). Current experimentation with a blower system proves the ability to apply the liquid binder and blow the soil-biomass mixture on the soil in a controlled manner. Demonstrations on an inclined test bed showed agency personnel from the Forest Service, Environment Department, and Rural Conservation District the potential benefits of using and recommending Zerosion for application on difficult to manage soil erosion situations. Strong support for the development of this project exists within the community. Initial vegetation experiments proved the ability of grass seed to germinate and penetrate a bound wood erosion control crust. This was a critical component of proving the material would not impede the re-vegetation of eroded terrain. Additional work with more chemically sensitive species of plants are planned for the next stage of the project. The outcome from this work sets the stage for further research in Phase II, as well as developing the initial contacts needed for commercialization in Phase III.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 05/01/06 to 05/01/07

Outputs
Development of an erosion control material using low quality wood materials and a mineral based binder (Zerosion) is progressing well. Pre-screening of several binder materials quickly determined that a magnesium cement was more effective and lower cost than the other materials evaluated. Subsequent experimental designs assessed the impacts of mixing on the strength of the material. At this time a significant amount of data has been gathered on Zerosion in the lab. Initial tests on an inclined test bed show excellent soil retention. Greater understanding of the application conditions continues to progress. Work on the development of a bark blower applicator continues with the purchase of a trailer mounted machine. Chemical mixing sequence and proportions are still being manipulated to determine the impacts on final product quality. A key area of research involves how vegetation will be supported by the erosion control material. A preliminary assessment of this has been successfully completed. An evaluation of salt leaching and other environmental impact factors are the primary focus for the duration on the grant.

Impacts
Zerosion has the potential to provide a value added product to forestry projects. By integrating local materials into an effective erosion control material made for the most difficult erosion situations, the product could easily be franchised across the country. This provides small, rural forestry businesses an opportunity to become more profitable, hire more employees, and create greater economic health for natural resource based businesses. Economically, the evaluation of final product cost and market share will depend on the local conditions and product formulation. However, erosion control materials are a billion dollar business sector and continuing to grow.

Publications

• No publications reported this period