Author(s): Giuliano Sauli; Lorenzo Pellizzari; Marco Vicari
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Carbon sequestration; Soil bioengineering; Gabions; Carbon footprint
Abstract: Double twist steel wire products have shown an extraordinary capability for regeneration of the natural environment, since gabions and mattresses are filled with stones, soil and roots which eventually provide favourable developmental conditions. At the same time vegetation uses these structures as shelter during the initial growth phase, thus allowing these solutions to provide adequate structural and hydraulic performances even when plants are not fully developed yet. A recent study has demonstrated how the use of gabions and Reno mattresses is a solution which reduces the impact on climate change, having a lower carbon footprint than the one of the equivalent traditional engineering solutions in terms of CO2 emissions. A comparison has been made between two different solutions (a gravity wall and a river bank lining) for real executed works; resulting emission factors are calculated in tons of CO2 per square meter surface of the solution: those made with double twist wire mesh products are sensitively better in terms of emissions and carbon footprint with respect to the traditional ones. Another important aspect for gabion and mattress solutions is related to their capability to offer a good substrate to the vegetation, eventually playing the role of carbon sinks. By capturing atmospheric CO2 through photosynthesis (biosequestration), plants store large amounts of organic C in above and belowground biomass. The paper presents the preliminary results of a research project aimed to evaluate both qualitatively and quantitatively the biomass developed, either as a result of planting or spontaneously, onto double twisted wire mesh Maccaferri solutions such as gabions, mattresses and reinforced soil structures on existing sites up to 16 years old.
Year: 2014