**9. Case studies: analysing accumulated experiences**

**8.7. Monitoring of bamboo structures and applications**

referenced to the risk assessment register of the project.

• Survival rate and/or percentage ground cover

• Height above ground or length of culms

• Root spread (horizontal and vertical)

• Suction stress due to the presence of roots

• Diameter deterioration and rates of deterioration

• Moisture content (air and soil)

• Tensile strength of the roots

• Changes in soil organic content

• Root density

• Temperature

• Culm diameter range

• Groundwater levels

• Soil loss to erosion

• Bamboo strength [15, 16]

• Precipitation

• Runoff

should be adopted as a minimum:

126 Bamboo - Current and Future Prospects

As a result of working with materials possessing relatively large natural variability, the soil bioengineering design with bamboo has to account for some uncertainty. To mitigate against the uncertainties and risks, monitoring will be vital throughout the lifetime of the bamboobased structure. Current standards do not specify or regulate which monitoring should be conducted as a step-by-step engineering process starting with a definition of objectives and end with application of mitigation measures if warranted by the monitoring data [41]. A monitoring programme should be included in the design and periodically updated as part of the QAM in the project file throughout the duration of the project. The programme should detail the specification of instrumentation and methods for monitoring and should be cross-

The monitoring of a soil bioengineering structure can be carried out in accordance with the existing current guidelines (e.g. [42]) with an addition of monitoring of the bamboo-related parameters critical to the stability and resilience of the structure. Depending on the form of bamboo used (live or inert) in the structure, the monitoring of the following parameters

• Displacements (horizontal, vertical, tilt) of the bamboo elements and the whole structure

The following shows a case study conducted under a research project from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) and the Tribhuvan University Kathmandu, Nepal [44].

The research work was focused on field investigations to develop technical standards of soil bioengineering systems. Among other research activities, one site in Kusunti in Kathmandu was selected for the implementation of a bamboo crib wall. A vegetated bamboo crib wall was compared with a conventional slope stabilization method (gabion) by means of different parameters.

At Kusunti site, that half portion of the site was treated with the gabion retaining wall, and the other half with the bamboo crib wall to compare two retaining wall systems from a technical as well as an economic point of view. One layer of gabion retaining wall was constructed for the whole stretch as a base. The total designed height of the wall is 3 m.

The actual construction work at this site was started on November 11, 2006 and ended on November 23, 2006. A supervisor was appointed to control the quality of the work. Students from the Pulchowk Campus and one student from Switzerland (University of Applied Sciences Wädenswil (HsW)) were also directly involved in this work. The before and after construction photographs and the work evolution are shown in **Figures 6** and **7**, respectively.

From the various project activities and critical study and monitoring of project sites, the following general conclusions on the use of bamboo crib walls can be made:


scheme. The existing design routines can be adapted for making allowance of the preceding features. The analysis of other works, the accumulated experiences of monitoring and field works and tests (e.g. bamboo root depth, root tensile strength, bamboo culm deterioration processes, bamboo culm mechanical testing, etc.) will support the specialization process for

, Hans Peter Rauch3

The Use of Bamboo for Erosion Control and Slope Stabilization: Soil Bioengineering Works

, Joao Paulo Fernandes<sup>4</sup>

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.75626

and

129

this type of interventions in the future.

\*, Slobodan B. Mickovski2

2 Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

pean Federation for Soil Bioengineering; 2015

fao.org/docrep/u1510e/u1510e04.htm

1 Technical Univesity of Madrid, Spanish Association of Landscape Engineering,

3 Department of Civil Engineering and Natural Hazards, University of Natural Resources

[1] Studer R, Zeh H. Soil Bioengineering: Construction Type Manual. Zurich: vdf Hoch-

[2] Florineth F. Pflanzenstatt Beton. Handbuch zur Ingenieurbiologie und Vegetationstechnik.

[3] Hacker E, editor. European Guidelines for Soil and Water Bioengineering. Aachen: Euro-

[4] Sthapit KM, Tennyson LC. Bio-engineering Erosion Control in Nepal. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2014. Available from: http://www.

[5] Morgan RPC, Rickson RJ. Slope Stabilization and Erosion Control: A Bioengineering

[6] Lammeranner W, Rauch HP, Laaha G. Implementation and monitoring of soil bioengineering measures at a landslide in the Middle Mountains of Nepal. Plant and Soil.

[7] Rauch HP, Florineth F, Lammeranner W, Wibmer S. Soil Bioengineering Slope Protection Investigations in Nepal. Final Report for the Austrian Commission of Development

Approach. London, UK: E&FN Spon; 1995. pp. 1-47 and 221-248

\*Address all correspondence to: gtarcer@gmail.com

**Author details**

Guillermo Tardio<sup>1</sup>

Madrid, Spain

**References**

Madhu Sudan Acharya<sup>3</sup>

and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria

schulverlag AG; 2014

2005;**278**:159-170

Research. 2002

Berlin: Patzer Verlag; 2012

4 University of Evora, Evora, Portugal

**Figure 6.** Before and after construction photographs, Kusunti, Lalitpur (November 2007) [26].

**Figure 7.** The vegetated bamboo crib wall just after construction (November 2006) and after 1 year of construction (Kusunti, Lalitpur, November 2007) [26].

