Method for land stabilization

Abstract

Land is stabilized by laying an elongate generally flat mat onto the ground where the mat is formed from strips of material arranged side by side and connected at spaced positions longitudinally to define a honeycomb structure with top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined by edges of the strips. The mat is unrolled from a supply and laid onto the ground so that open empty tubular cells stand upwardly from the surface to be partly filled with top soil. The mat is shaped into the required rectangular strips to lie side by side in butting arrangement by locating pins in the ground. Seed attached to the mat grow in the soil and ground to effect stabilization.

1 . A method of stabilizing land comprising:
 providing a mat formed from strips of material arranged side by side and connected at spaced positions longitudinally of the strips so that each strip is connected to a next adjacent strip on one side at first spaced positions and to a next adjacent strip on an opposed side at second spaced positions which are arranged alternately to the first spaced positions so as to form a honeycomb structure with top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined by edges of the strips;   the mat therefore having tubular cells extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined between the strips;   placing the mat on ground to be stabilized with the bottom surface flat on the ground and the top surface exposed;   the mat having seeds attached thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the mat is attached to the ground by fastening pins. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein a plurality of mats are laid side by side with side edges butting to cover an area greater than the area of each mat. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the cells are at least partly filled with top soil after placement on the ground. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the seeds are bonded to the cell walls. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the seeds are impregnated into the cell walls. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the cells are substantially empty. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the mat is formed wholly by the strips. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the cells are open at the top and bottom. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the mat is elongate and is provided on a supply roll on which the strips are flattened on to one another and is unrolled from the roll by opening the strips apart to open the cells. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the strips are formed of a non-woven fibrous material. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the strips are formed of a spunbond fibrous plastics material. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the strips are porous. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the strips are connected together by heat bonding. 
     
     
         15 . A mat for use in stabilizing land comprising:
 a mat formed from strips of material arranged side by side and connected at spaced positions longitudinally of the strips so that each strip is connected to a next adjacent strip on one side at first spaced positions and to a next adjacent strip on an opposed side at second spaced positions which are arranged alternately to the first spaced positions so as to form a honeycomb structure with top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined by edges of the strips;   the mat therefore having tubular cells extending between the top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined between the strips;   the mat being arranged to be placed on ground to be stabilized with the bottom surface flat on the ground and the top surface exposed;   the mat having seeds attached thereto.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein the seeds are attached to the cell walls. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein the mat is formed wholly by the strips so that the cells are substantially empty and the cells are open at the top and bottom. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15  wherein the strips are formed of a porous non-woven fibrous material and are connected together by heat bonding.