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MSGCE 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 525 (2020) 012051 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/525/1/012051

Study on rapid ecological protection of rock slope

Yunming Aocun1, Yapin Lv2*, Qingan Wang3 and Tianwei Xia4

1
School of Water Conservancy Engineering, Zhengzhou Unversity, Zhengzhou,
Henan,450000, China.
2
School of Water Conservancy Engineering, Zhengzhou Unversity, Zhengzhou,
Henan,450000, China.
3
School of Water Conservancy Engineering, Zhengzhou Unversity, Zhengzhou,
Henan,450000, China.
4
School of Water Conservancy Engineering, Zhengzhou Unversity, Zhengzhou,
Henan,450000, China.
*
Corresponding author’s e-mail: yapin0223@163.com

Abstract. In recent years, with the construction of domestic infrastructure and mining of ore, a
large number of bare rock slopes have been produced. Failure to protect these rock slopes in time
will cause driver's visual fatigue, water and soil erosion of rock slopes, and in severe cases,
geological disasters such as rockfalls and landslides, which will block roads and affect traffic
and pedestrian safety. Based on the above, this article puts forward two types of slope ecological
protection methods: assembled rock slope ecological protection and cast-in-place rock slope
ecological protection. This method can solve the rapid greening of high and steep slope, the
weathering of the slope surface, the effect of the road capacity, and the improvement of the local
small environment.

1. Introduction
Due to the complex and diverse terrain of our country, in the construction of foundation projects in
rugged areas, it is inevitable to dig high and fill low, resulting in a large number of artificially exposed
rock slopes. In order to meet the demand for raw materials for infrastructure construction, a large number
of quarries also appeared in China, and then exposed and steep rock walls were formed. For the above-
mentioned rocky slopes that have lost plant cover due to various factors, it not only destroys the original
terrain and topography but also affects the original stability of the slope, the original ecological balance
of the surrounding area, and is exposed to the natural world for a long time. Blowing rain is easily eroded
and weathered by rain. These rock slopes caused by the construction of the project have a large number
and wide distribution, and most of them have exceeded the natural self-recovery ability. According to
the research[1] for the damaged soil slope, even under the condition of abundant rain vegetation It takes
at least six to seven years for natural recovery, and for rock slopes, due to the steep and smooth slope,
the poor rock debris and the lack of nutrients and root growth space for plant growth, it is difficult for
plants to survive. These slopes are under artificial ecological restoration, and the maximum slope of the
rock slope (slope coefficient is 1: 0.1-1: 1.25) is 85 degrees, which is almost perpendicular to the ground
plane. It will be more difficult to survive under the lack of nutrients and moisture on such steep slopes.
It may take decades or centuries to restore the plants naturally[2].

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MSGCE 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 525 (2020) 012051 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/525/1/012051

The author proposes two rapid rock slope ecological protection methods. Both ecological protection
technologies can isolate the slope from natural air, avoiding rainwater erosion, dripping and natural
weathering of the slope. Preventing the soil erosion on the slope has a certain protective effect, and also
prevents the detriment of the rock debris from damaging the organism; due to the sound absorption of
the material, it also has the effect of absorbing the road noise, and the green plants on the slope .It plays
the role of purifying the air, beautifying the road surface, and improving the local small environment;
the ecological protection of the rock slope will also play a good social and economic benefit.

2. Ecological protection theory of rock slope

The two methods studied in this paper are ecological slope protection methods that combine the main
material polyurethaner and other construction aid materials. Different from the existing thick layer
spraying methods for ecological protection, this study is intended to use polymers as the material for the
combination of two technical methods, and proposes two types of slopes: assembled and cast-in-place
rock slopes. The ecological protection method combines the engineering protection measures with the
ecological protection of plants without destroying the original slope structure, and strives to achieve the
unity of greening and stability of the slope.

2.1 Material properties[3]

Polyurethane as a polymer compound-a compound that does not exist in nature, has attracted much
attention since its synthesis for decades, and its application is relatively extensive.It can be used to
prepare products with different properties and applications according to different raw materials and
formulas, such as soft comparable cotton and hard comparable wood. The soft and rigid foams produced
by the polyurethane according to different processes also have different characteristics. The main
application of this test is the rigid polyurethane. The following are some characteristics of the rigid
polymer:
①Small density and light weight;②Small water absorption;③ Good adhesion[4]; ④ Strong sound
absorption;⑤Dimensional stability under extreme temperature conditions;⑥High durability;⑦ Good
crack resistance;⑧Good environmental protection: polymer material has low VOC value and zero ODP
is a green material recognized by the US National Environmental Protection Agency, the European
Union, Japan and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, and the waste materials
in the process of productization are reused for this research and application Recycling of industrial waste
is achieved to minimize the load on the environment.

2.2 Slope ecological protection theory

The ecological protection technology method studied in this paper is to use the dimensional stability,
durability, crack resistance and environmental protection characteristics of polymer materials under
extreme temperature conditions to make a structure of plant.The structure of the plant is combined with
some engineering auxiliary materials (plastic anchors, anchors) to fix its structure on the slope, and the
plant is placed in the structure of plant, which can carry out plant restoration on the rock slope. Green,
can also increase the friction and stability of the slope by using auxiliary materials such as anchors. This
method can avoid secondary damage to the rock slope, and also allows the slope to be covered by plants,
and also uses the structure of the plant to cover the rock slope It is isolated from the air, avoiding the
erosion and erosion of the slope by wind and rain, and because the material is light-weight, it will not
increase the excessive load on the slope. Since the structure of the plant of this study can be made at the
factory and the plants can be cultivated at the base, this method can be directly constructed and installed
on the slope, and it can also be called rock slope assembly type ecological protection.
The sprayability of the polymer material is used to spray the rock slope on site. Due to the
cohesiveness of the material, a special spraying tool is sprayed onto the slope surface and can be bonded
to the slope surface to form. It can also be filled with the cracks of the slope body to increase the friction
force of the slope surface to improve the stability of the slope. The material is sprayed on the slope to
form a certain thickness. The space in the plant hole can also be used for shallow reinforcement of the

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MSGCE 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 525 (2020) 012051 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/525/1/012051

slope body after the root system is stabilized in the late stage; in addition, the crack resistance and
dimensional stability of the material can also slide on the slope surface after the spray slope solidifies
Rock blocks that have moved or fell off the slope body are given an early warning; this method is called
in-situ ecological protection of rock slopes.

3. Technology Introduction

3.1 Assembled ecological protection

The structure-assembled ecological slope protection is composed of three parts: water supply system,
plant growth foundation structure and plant seedlings. Three plant foundations of the same type will be
used on the same height slope as a unit with a width of 150cm The steel wire mesh (see Figure 1) is
buckled on the slope surface, and it is fixed on the slope surface through the construction auxiliary
material anchors or anchor rods. Both the structure of plant and plant seedlings in this method can be
customized and cultivated in the factory, so when ecological protection is needed for a rock slope, the
structure of plant can be directly assembled on site for anchoring. Realize rapid ecological protection of
rocky slopes.

3.1.1 The structure of plant design

Perature of the factory processing and the different polymer products of additives, products with
different densities and hardness can be made. This structure uses this feature to process it into a finished
plant-based structure. The appearance of this structure is a rectangular parallelepiped with dimensions
of length × width × height = 540mm × 200mm × 890mm. There are 8 planting holes in a finished product,
and the planting holes are The plant substrate provides space for placement and also protects the growth
space of nutrients, water and roots needed for plant growth. The planting hole is roughly in the shape of
parallelograms, and the opening direction and structure reach an angle of 50 degrees. When the product
is placed perpendicular to the ground, the minimum effective height for the plant substrate in the planting
hole is 10 cm, and the angle between the plant and the horizontal plane is 40 When the structural product
decreases with the slope angle, the angle between the planting hole and the ground and the height of the
plant substrate in the planting hole will increase, which will be beneficial to the growth of plants.

Figure 1.Schematic diagram of reinforcing mesh

Note: the reinforcing mesh is composed of horizontal and vertical reinforcing bars;
1-reinforcing bars; 2-location of irrigation branch pipes; 3-location of corner branch pipes on both sides is
movable connection; 4-location of anchor bolts or anchor nails fixed to the slope surface.

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MSGCE 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 525 (2020) 012051 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/525/1/012051

Figure 2. Basic unit of top structure. Figure 3. Basic unit of top structure.

Figure 4. Basic unit of middle structuret. Figure 5. Basic unit of middle structuret.

Figure 6. Basic unit of underlying structure. Figure 7. Basic unit of underlying structuret.

Description of the illustrated serial number: 1- polyurethane material product; 2- planting hole; 3-
permeable hole; 4- placement drip irrigation water supply pipe; 5- protruding part engaged with the
lower structure product; 6- recessed biting with the upper structure product Part; 7-recessed portion
engaged with the left structure; 8-protruded portion engaged with the right structure; 9-structure support.
The support part is because the rock slope is exposed to wind and rain all the year round. The weathering

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MSGCE 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 525 (2020) 012051 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/525/1/012051

degree of the slope surface will not be as smooth as the engineering slope. In order to have a good
adhesion between the structure and the slope, to avoid the infiltration of rainwater Set the two ends of
the structure.

3.1.2 Applicable conditions for ecological protection technology of prefabricated rock face slope
①Applicable area
It can be used in all areas, but in arid and semi-arid areas, a continuous supply of conservation water
should be guaranteed.
②Applicable slope condition
Rock face slopes with low weathering degree and slightly flat slopes, such as: embankments, cuts,
abandoned quarries or mine slopes along roads and railways. The suitable slope rate is 1: 0.2-1: 2, and
the slope of each grade is not higher than 10m.
③Construction season
In the south, it is not subject to seasonal restrictions, and in the north, construction can be carried out
in spring, summer, and autumn, but it is best to avoid heavy rain and other bad weather construction.

3.1.3 Construction method

①Preparatory work
In the factory, structure of the plant is cast and molded, the construction auxiliary materials are
processed, and the native plants are surveyed on the slopes to be ecologically protected. After selecting
the plant seeds, the factory pre-cultivates into plant seedlings. Set the interception ditch at the top of the
rock face slope (a layer of degradable plastic mesh is placed on the top of the interception ditch to avoid
falling stones and other debris on the slope top, and a layer of gravel is placed at the bottom to avoid
rain Seepage, it also serves as a reservoir for the water supply system), and a drainage ditch is provided
at the foot of the slope to perform concentrated and rapid drainage for the slope.
②Level the slope
Brush along the slope according to the slope of the rock slope, and clean up the loose layers of debris,
debris, etc. on the slope, requiring the slope to be relatively flat.
③Transplanting plant seedlings
The plant seedlings cultivated in advance in the greenhouse are transplanted into the structure of the
plant.
④On-site installation
Transport the structure of plant that has been prefabricated in the factory to the slope site for
installation and anchoring, install the complete set of reinforced mesh at 180mm from the top of each
row of the structure of the plant, and arrange it according to the actual situation of the slope with 3 × n
The structure is installed, and the anchors are replaced with anchor rods on the slope with potential deep
landslides, which has the effect of strengthening the slope.
⑤Install water supply system
The water supply system is mainly composed of three parts: the water source part (slope-top
reservoir), the configuration pipeline, and the hub part, which mainly include the submersible pump,
dripping arrow and hose, steady flow dripper and joint, water supply main pipe and pipe top plug The
first four parts are composed, and each part can determine its size according to the area of the ecological
slope protection of the rock slope. According to the specific conditions of the slope height and
topography, the water supply system is designed in layers, and pressure stabilizers are installed on the
slopes with higher slopes. After completion, conduct drip irrigation test operation of the pipeline. There
is no water supply system in areas with particularly abundant rain in the south.
⑥ Early maintenance
The pre-maintenance of plants is mainly drip irrigation water supply on sunny days, and fertilization
half a year later (place the fertilizers or nutrient solutions required by the plants into the water source
that is usually irrigated, which can accurately transport plant nutrients to the foundation of each plant).

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MSGCE 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 525 (2020) 012051 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/525/1/012051

⑦Replanting
Check the growth of plant seedlings in time, and replace withered or diseased seedlings.

3.2 Cast-in-place ecological protection technology

The cast-in-situ slope protection technology is based on polyurethane as the raw material, designed to
reserve the required position of the plant substrate on the slope, and then is sprayed on the slope by a
complete set of spraying machinery. Two different construction schemes are designed for the
geographical location.

3.2.1 Applicable conditions for ecological protection technology of cast-in-place rock face slope
①Applicable area:
It can be used in the north and south areas, and the rain in the south is abundant, and there is no need
to configure a drip irrigation system.
②Applicable slope condition
The rock face slopes suitable for various weathering degrees include embankments and cutting slopes.
The flatness, slope rate and slope stability of the slopes are not required.
③Construction season
In the south, it is not subject to seasonal restrictions, and in the north, construction can be carried out
in spring, summer, and autumn, but it is best to avoid heavy rain and other bad weather construction.

3.2.2 Construction method

Construction process of cast-in-place rock face ecological protection technology
①Preparation
Clean up rubble and obstacles such as floating soil, broken stones, tree roots, etc. In order to ensure
that the slope repair is an overall effect, artificially level up the slope surface especially in depressions
or protrusions and build intercepting trenches on the slope top.
② pouring on site
On-site pouring scheme one: After the preparation of the preliminary work is completed, the flower
pots are arranged on the slope, a layer of fixed flower pots is poured first, and the drainage pipes between
the flower pots are installed, and then a second layer of polyurethane material is poured for fixing ,;
Scheme 2: The first stage of work is to directly pour a layer of material on the slope surface, design the
drainage pipe between the plant holes on the slope surface, and then place the second layer to fix it.
According to the position of the drainage pipe, excavate planting holes on the material, this The biggest
difference between the two schemes is that the bottom of the former planting hole does not directly
contact the slope, the root system of the plant will not affect the stability of the original slope, and it is
more suitable for unweathered or weakly weathered rock slope; the latter is a plant The root system can
directly contact the slope surface and is suitable for weathered or strongly weathered rock slopes. The
root system of plants can also play a mechanical role in increasing the stability of the slope. The common
point is that materials can be hooked and filled with more developed structural surfaces when they are
poured, which serves as engineering reinforcement measures and also completely isolates the slope from
the air to avoid weathering and rain erosion in nature.
③Install water supply system
The water supply system is mainly composed of three parts: the water source part (slope-top
reservoir), the configuration pipeline, and the hub part. The water supply method was selected as the
drip irrigation system used in the previous experiment. The branch pipe on the slope surface is fixed to
the poured polyurethane material with a slot, and the water supply system is layered according to the
specific conditions of the slope height and topography. The pressure stabilizer is installed on the slope
with a higher slope. After completion, conduct drip irrigation test operation of the pipeline. It is not
necessary to install the water supply system in the southern region.
④Seedling transplantation

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MSGCE 2020 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 525 (2020) 012051 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/525/1/012051

Transplant the plant seedlings cultivated in advance in the greenhouse into the plant holes on the
slope.
⑤Preliminary maintenance
The pre-maintenance of plants is mainly drip irrigation water supply on sunny days, and fertilization
half a year later (place the fertilizers or nutrient solutions required by the plants into the water source
that is usually irrigated, which can accurately transport plant nutrients to each planting hole).
⑥Replanting
Check the growth of plant seedlings in time, and replace withered or diseased seedlings.

4. Conclusion
In this paper, two kinds of slope ecological protection methods, assembly type and cast-in-place rock
slope type, are put forward. Under the condition of not destroying the original slope structure, the
engineering protection measures and plant ecological protection are organically combined to achieve
the unity of slope greening and stability. Two kinds of ecological protection technologies can use the
proposed material polyurethane to isolate the slope and natural air, avoiding the erosion of rainwater on
the slope, splashing and natural weathering of the slope, playing a certain protective role in preventing
the soil and water loss on the slope, and also preventing the loss of rock debris on the biological damage;
as the material has sound absorption, it will also play the role of absorbing road noise.As a result, the
green plants on the slope can also purify the air and beautify the road appearance, and have good social
and economic benefits for the ecological protection of the rock slope.

Acknowledgments
On the completion of this thesis, I would like to thank my mentor, Okunura, for his guidance and
encouragement, as well as the support and help of my students.

References
[1] Bo,J.D. Li,Q. Bai, B. (2005) Green transportation and sustainable development. Liaoning
Transportation Technology, 03:17-19.
[2] Guo,F. Zhang,M.F. Chen,Z.F.(2009) Impact degree and ecological restoration technology of bare
mountain gap landscape. Chinese Landscape Architecture, 25(11):63-66.
[3] Zhu, L.M. Liu ,Y.J.(2004) Polyurethane Foam. Chemical Industry Press, Beijing.
[4] Zhu, Z.G. (2014) In-depth dialysis of several environmentally friendly solvent-free coatings and its
future development. Polyurethane,(12):60-67.