Principles of Eco-Slope Design

Hydrostatic Stability Principle

The design of revetment should primarily meet the stability requirements of the embankment. The main factors contributing to the instability of the embankment include: ① Instability caused by gradual erosion of the embankment face; ② Instability due to the sliding failure of the superficial soil; ③ Instability caused by deep-seated sliding. Therefore, research should be conducted on hydrological parameters and geotechnical parameters affecting the stability of the embankment, thereby enabling the hydraulic stability design of the revetment.

2. Eco-Principles

Ecological slope design should be in harmony with ecological processes, aiming to minimize environmental disruption. This harmony entails designing with respect for biodiversity, reducing resource exploitation, maintaining nutrient and water cycles, and preserving the quality of plant habitats and animal habitats. The overall principle is to contribute to the improvement of human living environments and the health of ecosystems. It primarily encompasses the following three aspects:

(1) Local Principles.

Design should be tailored to the local context, harmonizing with the natural environment after a thorough understanding of the local natural landscape. This includes: ① respecting traditional culture and local knowledge; ② adapting to the natural processes of the site, incorporating natural elements with site-specific characteristics into the design to maintain the health of the site; ③ using local materials, plants, and construction materials as much as possible based on the local conditions, ensuring ecological slopes are in harmony with the local natural conditions.

(2) Principle of Protection and Conservation of Natural Resources.
For the logistics and energy flow of natural ecosystems, ecological design emphasizes four solutions: 1) Protect non-renewable resources and avoid using them unless absolutely necessary; 2) Minimize the use of energy, land, water, and biological resources, and improve their efficiency; 3) Utilize existing materials, such as vegetation, soil, and bricks, to serve new functions, which can significantly reduce resource and energy consumption; 4) Keep the slope in a positive cycle to allow for resource renewal.

(3) Return to the Natural Principle.

The natural ecosystem provides various conditions and processes to sustain human life and meet its needs, which is referred to as ecosystem services. This is highlighted in: ① Nature has no waste; every healthy ecosystem has a well-developed food chain and trophic levels, thus ecological design should maintain the system in a healthy state; ② Marginal effects, at the edges of two or more different ecosystems, there are more active energy and material flows, abundant species, and higher productivity. These areas are also rich in biotic communities and offer high ecological benefits. For instance, riverbank slopes, as the marginal zone between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, should fully consider its marginal effects during design; ③ Biodiversity, maintaining effective populations of animals and plants, protecting various types and stages of ecosystems, respecting all ecological processes and natural disturbances, including natural fires, the alternating patterns of dry and rainy seasons, and seasonal floods.