Harnessing The Sea to Overcome Soil Erosion

Underwater "foundation soil" supporting the "footings" of a substructure are a critical component in the maintenance of the stability of the structure. Establishing the sensitivity of these soils to erosion is an important design factor and great care should be exercised in making this determination. A solid obstruction (i.e., a substructure "footing") placed on a soil bed in a water flow increases the local current velocity and can put the "soil bed", previously stable, into a state of instability. The novel "Erosion Control Mat" manufactured by H.I.I. is a reliable proven solution to this problem. Its high resistance to water flow with 3.8 million square inches of wetted area/drag surface per mat retards the current velocity, thereby preventing continued losses of soil by erosion forces. This slower current causes soil, previously transported by the more rapid current, to deposit in the "Erosion Control Mat." This builds up a permanent fiber reinforced soil bank analogous to its natural surroundings.