Green Slope Engineering: Bioengineered, Live Cover Systems for Man-made Fill Slopes and Landfill Capillary Barriers in Hong Kong

The prime objectives of this project are to investigate and improve fundamental understanding of root-soil-water interactions and to develop an innovative and environmentally friendly reliability-based preliminary design framework for an integrated bioengineered live cover for man-made fill slopes and landfill capillary barriers” in Hong Kong. A capillary barrier is an earth layered system, which makes use of unsaturated hydraulic characteristics of different types of soils to minimize rainfall infiltration and to drain away infiltrated water quickly. This live cover will be self-regenerative and sustainable (almost maintenance free). Five major research tasks will be carried out by a multi-disciplinary research team. The five research tasks are field monitoring and site characterization of man-made fill slopes and landfills, centrifuge and numerical modelling of bioengineered fill slopes and landfill capillary barrier systems, development of an integrated quality assurance scheme and a preliminary reliability-based design methodology for bioengineered slopes. Findings from this project will provide new insights into the behaviour of bioengineered slopes and landfills in Hong Kong. A novel, specific reliability-based preliminary design guideline will be developed for the design, construction, management and restoration of bioengineered live cover systems on both man-made fill slopes and landfill capillary barriers. The guideline will set out performance standards, technical information, procedural mechanisms (integrated design, construction and operational phases), and will provide necessary supporting data.

Funding Source: UGC - Other Specific Funds/Earmarked Grants^