Bamboo Crib Wall: A Sustainable Soil Bioengineering Method to Stabilize Slopes in Nepal

Stabilizing natural as well as man-made slopes in various parts of Nepal is a challenging job. Generally, conventional retaining structures (masonry, concrete or gabion walls) are constructed to stabilize such slopes. The construction and maintenance costs of such walls are increasing every year. A soil bioengineering approach to stabilize slopes using bamboos and plants is explained. The objective of this research work is also to examine the effectiveness of bamboo crib walls to retain the slopes. The performance of the bamboo crib walls were monitored for five years and the results are discussed. The paper highlights the design and construction procedure, strength and durability of bamboo crib walls reinforced with vegetation. A comparison of costs between conventional gabion retaining wall and vegetated bamboo crib wall has also been made for economic justification. The result shows that the introduction of plants inside the bamboo crib wall will not only increase the life of such wall but also increases the stability of whole slope in long-run. Experimental results and qualitative assessment of bamboo crib walls show that the technique of making vegetative crib wall using bamboo could be a sustainable alternative to conventional retaining walls and has potential to add socio-economic value to the communities.