Plants for civil engineering structures: Analyses of selected criteria for sustainable soil protection in Southern Brazil

Austrian project partner Local project partners Project manager

University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU) Institute of Soil Bioengineering and Landscape Construction (IBLB) Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul (UFSM) Eng. M.Sc. Fabricio J. Sutili Univ. Ass. DI Dr. Hans Peter Rauch

The structure of the agricultural system of the province of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) is based on family-run farms. Many farmers have problems with eroded river banks which also cause erosion problems of agricultural land. Consequently the farmers are interested in sustainable stabilised river banks to protect their farmland and provide a stable economical foundation. Erosion control of river banks and agricultural land enters public awareness when natural hazards damage infrastructure facilities. In Brazil the technique of soil bioengineering using living plant material for civil engineering structures could be a helpful implement for civil engineers to take into account not only technical but also ecological, sustainable and socio-economical aspects. However, for successful applications special local conditions must be considered. Success is directly linked to the knowledge of technical and biological properties of the plants which are used locally as a construction material for civil engineering structures.
The Federal University of Santa Maria (Brazil) and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (Austria) have been cooperating in the field of soil bioengineering since 2003. The first objective was to find plant species, which fulfill the prerequisites of a “soil bioengineering plant”. Four different native plant species could be recommended. Based on these results the recommended plant species should now be tested systematically for their dynamical behavior which usually impacts on soil bioengineering systems. Several field and laboratory investigations are planned. This is a further step to ultimately arrive at a standardized method of using plants for civil engineering purposes.

The aims of the project are:

- Testing systematically the recommended plant species for its dynamical behavior
- Generating basic knowledge of important technical parameters
- Publication of results from the research work in scientific journals and conferences both in Brazil and Europe
- Intensifying the cooperation already existing between the two universities
- Developing technical skills in its field but also “soft” skills due to training activities such as presentation techniques, communication skills and inter-cultural management
- Integration and participation of the local farmers and supporting them to solve problems related to river bank erosion

Institute of Soil Bioengineering and Landscape Construction (IBLB) (BOKU)

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