The construction of the US 331 Road Reconstruction in South Bend, Indiana did not come without its environmental challenges and concerns. American StructurePoint was required to design a mitigation plan as part of the project. Eller Ditch, a St. Joseph County legal drain, was determined to be the perfect location to incorporate such a plan. The mitigation plan included the following coir log design: riprap placed at the toe of slope for stabilization, 12” diameter 9 lb/ft3 density coir log to transition to a soft armor vegetative system, a permanent turf reinforcement mat on the slope to increase shear stress capabilities of the vegetation.
During the submittal, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the contractor had concerns regarding whether the design would hold during flooding conditions. Specifically, they were anxious the plants would suffocate during the wet season. This same design technique was used on a nearby Juday Creek, Indiana’s only natural trout stream, without any problems. With the aid of D2 Land & Water Resource and recognizing similarities to the Juday Creek project, StructurePoint was able to convince all parties involved that the vegetative design was the appropriate solution. From the one year later installation, everyone can see they were correct! To date, the vegetation has successfully established without any further maintenance.
