Georgia GDOT Erosion Control Products

Solmax DOT Standard Specification Product Chart (click image to expand)

Georgia GDOT  - Erosion Control Methods

Georgia jobs span red Piedmont clays, loose Coastal Plain sands, and steep Blue Ridge foothills. Summer cloudbursts and tropical remnants can turn sheet flow into rills in minutes, while construction traffic and utility cuts expose highly erodible soils. GDOT’s playbook layers products that (1) protect bare soil, (2) slow and spread runoff, and (3) capture sediment before it reaches streams, wetlands, and storm drains.

Rolled erosion control products (RECPs). On new embankments, slope repairs, and roadside swales, crews install straw, excelsior, coconut/coir, or blended blankets to shield soil and seed from rain splash and wind. Straw blankets suit short, gentle slopes and low-velocity swales; heavier coir or straw-coir mats are used on longer grades or ditch reaches with higher shear. Blankets are trenched at the crest and toe, overlapped shingle-style, and pinned to manufacturer patterns—extra anchoring is common on exposed ridgelines and interstates. Where velocities exceed blanket limits, turf-reinforcement mats (TRMs) provide a durable, synthetic scaffold; once vegetation roots through, the composite resists repeated storm events without relying solely on rock.

Hydraulic mulches and soil binders. Irregular, rocky cuts and broad slopes are treated with hydraulic applications: hydroseed with hydromulch, bonded fiber matrix (BFM), or flexible growth media (FGM). BFMs form a breathable crust that resists sheet flow yet allows germination, giving quick cover in the stormy shoulder seasons. On windy or drought-prone sites, straw mulch is crimped into the soil and locked with tackifier or polymer binder to prevent blow-off until roots knit the surface.

Slope interrupters and perimeter controls. Fiber rolls (wattles) and compost filter socks, placed on contour, break up long slope lengths, slow runoff, and trap sediment before rills form. At the site boundary, silt fence intercepts sheet flow where soils are fine and posts can be set firmly; wire-supported fence or heavier filter socks are favored on steeper ground, near traffic, or in sandy Coastal Plain soils where stakes might loosen. Placement focuses on intercepting water high on the slope so it never gains erosive energy.

Check structures and channels. Temporary rock or wattle check dams in ditches lower velocities and drop out sediment. Spacing is set so each crest ponds water to the toe of the next, creating a stair-step energy dissipator. At culvert outlets, storm outfalls, and sharp bends, crews pair blankets or TRMs with riprap over a filter layer; coir logs at the toe keep edges tight until vegetation takes hold. Where hydraulic forces are extreme, articulated concrete block (ACB) mats provide added stability while still allowing vegetation in the cells.

Inlet protection and track-out control. Curb socks, drop-inlet inserts, and gravel rings around grates keep sediment out of storm systems during grading and paving. Stabilized construction exits—coarse stone over geotextile—limit mud tracked onto public roads; street sweeping backs them up on clay-rich Piedmont projects where fines cling to tires.

Basins, traps, and stockpiles. Small sediment basins or traps intercept runoff from disturbed areas and provide settling volume ahead of discharge; floating baffles increase detention efficiency. Topsoil stockpiles are promptly seeded and mulched or covered, with perimeter wattles or fence to contain fines.

Seeding strategy. Timing targets reliable moisture: dormant seeding in late fall, or spring windows before thunderstorms intensify. Native mixes are matched to ecoregion and aspect; coir-rich blankets, higher mulch rates, and (where allowed) temporary irrigation improve establishment on south-facing or sandy slopes.

Inspection and maintenance. After major rains, crews repair tears, reset stakes, clean inlet devices, and remove accumulated sediment (often at half-height for fences and socks). Temporary controls are removed once vegetation is established and slopes and channels prove stable.

Bottom line: on GDOT projects, erosion control isn’t one product—it’s a layered system. Blankets, TRMs, hydraulic mulches, wattles, silt fence, check dams, inlet protection, basins, and stabilized exits work together to tame flash storms, protect waterways, and give vegetation the foothold it needs to lock Georgia’s soils in place.

Georgia GDOT