What is Enkamat Turf Replacement Mat?

Enkamat Three Dimensional Mat for Turf Reinforcement

Protecting soil from erosion from water and wind can sometimes be accomplished with plain vegetation. If vegetation is absent after construction works, or is difficult to establish on steep slopes where loading may be too high for plain vegetation to withstand Enkamat offers the solution.

Enkamat is an open three dimensional synthetic mat consisting of randomly placed filaments of polyamide/ nylon.

Why Use Enkamat?

Enkamat has two objectives.

• To provide temporary protection to the bare soil to encourage the development of vegetation under circumstances where this is normally difficult if not impossible.
• Enkamat's second objective is to permanently reinforce vegetation. It gives extra strength to the vegetation so that higher loading can be withstood than with plain vegetation without reinforcement.

Is Enkamat Durable To Last?

Enamat is made of an inert material which makes it very durable and able to withstand long periods of time.  Natural vegetation reinforcement materials such as jute,c, flax, wood wool or straw-mats only last a short period of time. They are only meant to provide temporary protection up to the point that the vegetation can take over this task. Enkamat not only offers support in the early stages of the vegetation growth but adds extra strength after the vegetation is fully grown. Natural materials are not consistent regarding their quality.  Enkamat is manufactured under controlled conditions. This ensures a high quality of the material according to ISO 9001 standards.

Enkamat Advantages

Enkamat fills the gap between a protection with a plain vegetation and a more radical protection with materials such as rock, concrete or asphaltic mixtures.

The advantage is:

• Protection of a ground surface by vegetation is preferred from an environmental point of view.  Aesthetically, reinforced grass is indistinguishable from plain vegetation cover so it blends in with the landscape.  Also, the use of vegetation encourages the development of flora and fauna.
• Generally, vegetation reinforcement is cheaper than the more traditional construction using hard materials;
• Under normal circumstances, vegetation reinforcement is easier to place than more traditional methods.

How Does Enkamat Work/Function?

Enkamat vegetation cover provides protection to the subsoil against erosion in several ways:

• A composite soil/root mat is formed at the surface with a higher erosion resistance than soil alone.  This mat is anchored to the subsoil by the roots;
• The vegetation provides ground cover and reduces erosive velocities.

With Enkamat the vegetation roots bind around the filaments thru forming a dense and continuous system of filaments, soil and roots as shown in the image above.  This implies that

• The soil itself is given extra strength to withstand loading.  The formation of local weak spots is slowed/retarded.  This is advantageous in situation whee the vegetation cover has not fully been developed yet and when bare spots are present;
• The root structure is given assistance in restraining soil particles from washing out.
• Lateral continuity of plants is improved which results in a reduction in the risk of localized failure which in-turn may initiate more severe damage.

Enkamat Applications

The following applications have been identified

• protection of slopes and embankments against erosion by rainfall and wind
• establishment of vegetation on steep weathered slopes
• earth stabilization on smooth surfaces
• protection of embankments against hydraulic loadings
• protection of waterways against hydraulic loadings
• protection of water deference
• special applications

Protection of slopes and embankments against erosion by rainfall and wind

Newly constructed slopes, for example road and railway embankments, on which the vegetation is poor or absent can be subject to severe erosion by rainfall and wind.  Soil particles on the bare embankment are transported by run-off or wind, gradually resulting into deep gullies and deformations. Enkamat can give initial protection against this type of erosion, k the futile soil and seeds in place and supports the growth of vegetation.

Enkamat can be seeded with a suitable seed mixture and filled with humus or topsoil.  On very steep and long slopes the mats can be filled and seeded hydraulically.  The development of a proper vegetative covering normally takes several months.  

It is important that Enkamat is placed on a smooth base, particularly when eroded embankments have to be covered.  The surface has to be leveled and the holes filled and compacted to give a regular surface.  When rainfall is very extensive it is necessary to provide extra drainage provisions such as discharge channels.  On very long slopes it is recommend to construct small bank of the slopes in combination with drainage order to reduce run-off velocities.