Vegetated Concrete Block Mats (VCBMs) are engineered solutions designed to prevent soil erosion while promoting vegetation growth across various applications. These mats consist of interlocked concrete blocks embedded into a high-strength geogrid, allowing them to conform to the subgrade and ensure optimal soil contact. This design not only provides a uniform and aesthetically pleasing appearance compared to traditional riprap but also facilitates maintenance, as the mats are mountable for mowing equipment.
Key Features:
- Erosion Control: Effectively stabilizes soil in high-flow channels, slopes, and shorelines, reducing erosion and sediment displacement.
- Vegetation Promotion: The spacing between blocks allows for vegetation growth, enhancing ecological benefits and blending seamlessly with the natural environment.
- Durability: Constructed to withstand shear stresses up to 18 lbs per square foot and channel flows as high as 30 feet per second, ensuring long-term performance.
- Flexibility: The articulated design enables the mat to adapt to various terrains and subgrades, providing consistent protection across different landscapes.
Specifications:
- Block Dimensions: Each concrete block measures 6.5″ x 6.5″ with a 2.25″ profile, providing substantial coverage and protection.
- Block Spacing: A 1.5″ gap between blocks allows for flexibility and vegetation growth, contributing to the mat’s adaptability and environmental integration.
- Geogrid Integration: Blocks are embedded into a high-strength geogrid, enhancing structural integrity and ensuring the mat remains securely in place.
- Roll Sizes: Standard widths include 4′, 8′, 10′, and 16′, with lengths of 8′, 16′, 25′, 32′, and 50′. Custom sizes are available on a per-job basis to meet specific project requirements.
Common Applications:
- Bridge Abutments
- Canoe and Kayak Launches
- High-Flow Channel Linings
- Detention Basin Overflows
- Levee Protection
- Pipeline Protection
- Shoreline Stabilization
- Slope Protection
- Stream Crossings
- Scour Protection
Installation and Customization
For optimal results, it’s recommended to provide specific project plans to ensure the correct materials and dimensions are supplied. In cases where standard mats are requested without detailed plans or engineering inspection, please note that performance guarantees cannot be assured. Our primary focus is on supplying VCBMs for state or government projects, ensuring compliance with rigorous standards and specifications.
By integrating Vegetated Concrete Block Mats into your erosion control strategy, you can achieve a durable, environmentally friendly solution that supports vegetation growth while effectively stabilizing various landscapes.
Industries Served:
- Government and Municipalities: Ideal for state and local government projects, including erosion control along roadways, drainage systems, and flood mitigation plans.
- Airport Erosion Control: Meets FAA height restrictions and requirements for obstacle-free zones near runways, taxiways, and ramps.
- Flood Control: Rapidly deployable for emergency flood control and integral to long-term flood mitigation strategies in hurricane and tropical storm-prone areas.
- Departments of Transportation: Widely utilized for roadside erosion control, highway construction, and maintenance repairs, ensuring roadside safety and mowable surfaces for crews.
- Drivable Surfaces: Provides stable driving surfaces for access roads, low-water crossings, and parking areas, offering excellent traction for vehicles and pedestrians.
- Energy Sites: Erosion control solutions for substations, pipelines, drill sites, and wind or solar farm access roads. Also used for shoreline stabilization in wastewater lagoons.
- Inlet & Outlet Protection: Permanently stabilizes stormwater inlets and outlets, allowing for water infiltration and energy dissipation while preventing erosion in these vulnerable areas.
- Landfills: Protects letdowns, perimeter ditches, and spillways with a vegetated, flexible solution that accommodates vehicular and equipment access.
- River and Stream Banks: Stabilizes river and streambanks while supporting riparian vegetation and preserving natural ecosystems. The low-profile design minimizes debris entanglement.
- Schools and Educational Institutions: Safeguards stormwater outlets, drainage ditches, and detention/retention areas with a secure, vegetated solution that is safe for maintenance.
- Shorelines: Protects against erosion from waves, ice, and aquatic species like muskrats, ensuring long-term shoreline stability while maintaining an aesthetic appearance.
