Louisana LADOTD Erosion Control Products

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

Louisana LADOTD - Erosion Control Methods

Louisiana jobs often sit on deltaic clays, organic marsh deposits, and beach sands with high groundwater and frequent inundation. Add hurricanes, storm surge, tidal backwater, and intense rain events, and freshly disturbed ground can shear, slump, and deliver large sediment loads to wetlands and waterways. DOTD’s playbook layers products that (1) protect bare soil, (2) slow and spread runoff, and (3) capture sediment until vegetation takes over.

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 fit short, gentle slopes; heavier coir or straw-coir mats handle longer grades and higher shear typical of tropical downpours. Blankets are keyed into anchor trenches at crest and toe, overlapped shingle-style downslope, and stapled per manufacturer patterns—often with extra anchoring near the coast where gusts and salt spray test fasteners.

Turf-reinforcement mats (TRMs). Where velocities exceed blanket limits—steep ditches, outfalls, curve bends, and backwater zones—synthetic TRMs provide long-life reinforcement. Once vegetation roots through, the composite resists repeated storm events and drawdown better than bare soil and can reduce reliance on continuous riprap in constrained corridors.

Hydraulic mulches and soil binders. Irregular cuts and broad slopes are treated with hydroseed + hydromulch, bonded fiber matrix (BFM), or flexible growth media (FGM). BFMs form a breathable crust that resists sheet flow yet allows germination—useful between storm windows. On hot, windy, or sandy sites, straw mulch is crimped into the surface and locked with tackifier or polymer binder to prevent blow-off until roots knit the soil.

Slope interrupters and perimeter controls. Fiber rolls (wattles) and compost filter socks placed on contour break long slope lengths, slow runoff, and trap sediment before rills form. At the project boundary, silt fence works well in fine-grained clays when trenched and backfilled correctly; in sandy shoulders or high-traffic zones, heavier filter socks improve stability and maintenance access. The emphasis is intercepting sheet flow high on the slope so it never gains erosive energy.

Channels, outfalls, and shorelines. Temporary rock or wattle check dams in construction ditches reduce velocities and drop sediment; spacing is set so each crest ponds water to the toe of the next, creating stair-step energy dissipation. At culvert outlets, tidal outfalls, and surge-prone locations, crews pair RECPs or TRMs with riprap over a filter layer; coir logs at the toe keep edges tight until vegetation establishes. Where hydraulic forces are extreme or flow reverses with tide, articulated concrete block mats add durability while allowing plant growth in the cells and accommodating drawdown.

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 soil tracked onto public roads; sweeping backs them up, especially where sticky clays cling to tires.

Basins, traps, and stockpiles. Sediment basins or traps intercept runoff from disturbed areas and provide settling volume ahead of discharge. Floating baffles improve detention efficiency on flat sites. Topsoil stockpiles are promptly seeded and mulched or covered; perimeter wattles or fence contain fines during storms.

Seeding strategy and maintenance. Warm-season, salt- and wet-tolerant native mixes are matched to elevation and salinity. Crews time seeding for dependable moisture (late fall or early spring), use higher mulch rates on sunny exposures, and consider coir-rich blankets in brackish zones. After major rains or surge events, teams repair tears, reset stakes, empty inlet devices, remove accumulated sediment (often at half-height), and reseed bare spots. Temporary controls come out once vegetation is established and slopes and channels prove stable.

Bottom line: on DOTD 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 tropical storms and tides, protect sensitive marshes and bayous, and give vegetation the foothold it needs to lock Louisiana’s soils in place.

Louisana LADOTD