An economic evaluation of soil bioengineering as a method for slope stability on abandoned mine land in Eastern Kentucky <中文篇名〉=肯塔基州东部废矿斜坡稳定性的土壤生物工程 经济评估

摘要

Unable slopes are a serious problem on abandonedmine land (AML) in Kentucky and a number of other states.Current practices used to manage unstable slopes rely on modernconventional techniques that incorporate rock, concrete, or steelstructural components. Implementation of these techniques hasproven expensive due to recurring maintenance requirements. Thisstudy examines soil bioengineer technology as a viable alternative.In this study, the cost effectiveness of two common slopestabilization systems-rock gabions and rock riprap-has beencompared with innovative soil bioengineering system. Baselinecost estimates applied to all three systems were consistent withcommercial scales. Assuming a useful life of 20 years for both thegabion and riprap systems, sensitivity analysis using net presentvalues (NPV) in response to changes in both installation costs (I)and useful life (N) was conducted on both systems. Data wascalculated over a range of applicable interest rates. The resultingvalues were compared to installation costs for the soilbioengineering system. This analysis confirms that soilbioengineering technology can be economically competitive withits conventional counterparts. Further, it is hoped the results ofthis study can lead to wider acceptance of environmentallyconscious slope stabilization systems in mining regions throughout the country.