International practices and guidance: Natural-fiber rolled erosion control products

In recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in the development and use of natural-fiber rolled erosion control products (RECPs) to sustainably manage soil erosion. Natural fibers offer many advantages over synthetic fibers in that they are biodegradable, can absorb water, and can easily conform to underlying soil surfaces. In the US, coir, jute, straw, and wood excelsior fibers are commonly used to manufacture RECPs; however, efforts are being made around the world (e.g. United Kingdom, Canada, and the US) to explore potential uses of other natural fibers, such as hemp, flax, sugarcane, peanut shells, palm leaves, and cotton. Many researchers have characterized the properties of natural-fiber RECPs and documented their successful use in erosion control applications. For example, work has been done in India to evaluate the physical and engineering characteristics of coir and jute fibers for use in erosion control. Research efforts in the US and Europe have focused on the development of standardized test methods for characterizing RECPs and the performance of large-and small-scale tests. Many case histories have been published that document the successful use of natural-fiber RECPs. This paper presents an overview of natural-fiber RECP practices that are being used around the world and emergent fibers that are being evaluated for use as RECPs. International practices and guidance for the selection of natural-fiber RECPs for erosion control are given.