Many Civil Engineers wish to use natural vegetation as a means of erosion protection. To enable engineers to do so while also offering reliable protection in the vulnerable period when vegetation is still developing, Colbond has introduced a new product: Enkamat J. Enkamat J combines for the first time a standard polyamide Enkamat with a biodegradable fabric stitched to it.
Enkamat is a well established anti-erosion mat which uses natural vegetation as the means to prevent erosion. Enkamat reinforces the vegetation by providing it with a strong and permanent foothold. With such reinforcement, natural vegetation can withstand much higher erosion threats, making ‘green’ erosion control solutions practical in more situations.
Biodegradable backing for immediate protection
Vegetation needs time to grow, usually three to four months. When severe erosive loadings, such as heavy rainfall or flooding, are expected while the vegetation is developing, seeds or soil are at risk of being washed away. To minimise this risk, Colbond has developed Enkamat J. Its biodegradable fabric diminishes the impact of erosive loadings when vegetation is still young and prevents the loss of seeds or soil. In addition to offering this extra protection, the fabric also holds water and functions as a thermal blanket – both further enhancing vegetation growth.
Once the vegetation has fully developed, the biodegradable fabric is no longer required. It degrades and returns to nature, after which the Enkamat and vegetation together provide permanent and dependable erosion protection.
As a pioneer in geosynthetics, Colbond introduced Enkamat more than thirty years ago. With its unique three-dimensional open structure of polyamide filaments, it has proven itself to be an outstanding anti erosion mat. Over the years, many variants of Enkamat have been developed, each of them designed to meet specific demands in the field of erosion protection. Enkamat J is the latest development.
