Greening Roadway Infrastructure with Vetiver Grass to Support Transportation Resilience

Kim, Karl; Riley, Sequoia; Fischer, Elizabeth R.; Khan, Sadik

doi:10.3390/civileng3010010

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…With this guide, further research was conducted to identify potential areas that would be benefit from green infrastructure or nature-based transportation solutions. The research team investigated and developed a framework for the use of vetiver grass—Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty—as a cost-effective control and mitigation solution to reduce erosion, landslides, and flooding along the transportation corridors of Kuhio Highway ( 51 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building Back Better: Transportation Recovery Challenges From the 2018 Kaua`i Flooding Disaster

Kim

Chun

Yamashita

2022

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

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This study describes and analyzes the recovery of transportation systems damaged by flooding and landslides in 2018 on the island of Kaua’i, Hawai’i. Following describing the record-setting rainfall and massive landslides that closed the major highway connecting the North Shore communities with the rest of the island, the challenges of “building back better” are investigated. While there was an urgency to finish the roadway repairs as quickly as possible, there was also a need to reduce future risks from flooding and landslides. Strong leadership, coordination, communications, and resource sharing helped improve pre-existing traffic, congestion, parking, and accessibility concerns for residents and tourists. There are important lessons learned concerning the need for timely, accurate data and information. Mitigation and adaptation projects that go beyond simply replacing and repairing assets before the storm are also analyzed. Opportunities to utilize greener, nature-based, and context-sensitive design, engineering, and planning solutions to mitigate and adapt highways to climate-induced extreme events remain challenging even in a community known for scenic beauty, pristine natural areas, and rich cultural heritage. While the community-led efforts to implement improvements to the State park at the end of the road were exemplary, there are still ongoing challenges of increased climate threats and inflexible, limited systems for funding—not just in disaster recovery but also investments in community resilience.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building Back Better: Transportation Recovery Challenges From the 2018 Kaua`i Flooding Disaster

Kim

Chun

Yamashita

2022

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation R

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“…A study by [43] examined combining biochemical surface treatments with vegetation and found that using seeded biochemical treatments on slopes was effective for both short-and long-term stabilization against erosion. Recent work by [44] highlighted the potential for vetiver grass to support resilient transportation systems by mitigating slope failures and improving stormwater quality, but this study also highlighted the relative lack of use of vetiver in the United States.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Comparison of Vegetation Types for Prevention of Erosion and Shallow Slope Failure on Steep Slopes in the Southeastern USA

Asima

Niedzinski

O'Donnell

et al. 2022

Land

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Shallow slope failures due to erosion are common occurrences along roadways. The use of deep-rooted vegetative covers is a potential solution to stabilize newly constructed slopes or repair shallow landslides. This study compared species that may provide slope stabilization for sites in the Piedmont region of the southeastern USA. Six species were tested on experimental plots under natural rainfall conditions, and vegetation health and establishment were monitored. Two methods were used to measure surface erosion, measurement of total suspended solids in collected runoff and erosion pins. While measurement uncertainty was high for both methods, differences were evident between species in the spatial distribution of surface erosion that was related to the quality of vegetation establishment. For three species that established well, soil cores were collected to measure root biomass at depths up to 40 cm. Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizaniodies) had substantially higher mean root biomass (3.75 kg/m3) than juniper shrubs (Juniperus chinensis; 0.45 kg/m3) and fescue grass (Lolium arundinaceum; 1.28 kg/m3), with the most pronounced difference in the deepest soil layers. Seeding with turf grass such as fescue is a common practice for erosion control in the region but replacing this with vetiver on steep slopes may help prevent shallow landslides due to the additional root reinforcement. Additional work is needed to measure the magnitude of the strength gain.

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“…The leaves of this plant have also been used to remove parasitic infections in feed animals [131], and the mixture of its roots and leaves has been used as a pain reliever for rheumatoid arthritis, lumbago, and sprain [126]. Recently, the utility of vetiver grass as a green infrastructure tool for transportation planning to reduce the risks of erosion, landslides, and flooding was reported [132].…”

Section: Traditional and Medicinal Uses Of Vetiver Grassmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanoides L.): A Hyper-Accumulator Crop for Bioremediation of Unconventional Water

et al. 2023

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The increase of the global population and the requirement of food production and agricultural development, combined with a lack of water resources, have led to human attention being drawn to unconventional water sources, including saline water and wastewater. Most unconventional water treatment methods are not cost-effective; however, researchers have become interested in the phytoremediation method due to its cost-efficient and eco-friendly removal of many pollutants in recent years. Research showed that due to its unique characteristics, vetiver grass can be useful in phytoremediation. In the current review, research on vetiver-based phytoremediation of unconventional water, especially wastewater, was reviewed. The vetiver-reduced contaminants in wastewater can be related to the interactions between (1) the root-released oxygen into the rhizosphere; (2) the root-based uptake of nutrients from the wastewater; (3) the existence of an appropriate surface area for the attached microbial growth; as well as (4) the root-exuded organic carbon.

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Greening Roadway Infrastructure with Vetiver Grass to Support Transportation Resilience

Cited by 10 publications

References 37 publications

Building Back Better: Transportation Recovery Challenges From the 2018 Kaua`i Flooding Disaster

Building Back Better: Transportation Recovery Challenges From the 2018 Kaua`i Flooding Disaster

Comparison of Vegetation Types for Prevention of Erosion and Shallow Slope Failure on Steep Slopes in the Southeastern USA

Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanoides L.): A Hyper-Accumulator Crop for Bioremediation of Unconventional Water

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