Field studies on the effects of three geotextiles on runoff and erosion of road slope in Beijing, China

Runoff and soil loss from bare slopes resulting from road construction are serious. Geotextiles are a possible temporary alternative before vegetation establishes itself, and offer immediate soil protections on slopes. In order to examine the effects of three kinds of geotextiles (shade net, non-woven fabrics and straw mats) on road slopes in decreasing runoff and soil loss, a self-made rainfall simulator was calibrated and used in a field experiment on slopes of Jing–Cheng (Beijing–Chengde) highway in China. Forty rainfall simulations were carried out on four road slopes covered with straw mats, shade net, non-woven fabrics and nothing, respectively. The three kinds of geotextiles all significantly (P < 0.001) decreased runoff and sediment concentration compared with the bare slope. Furthermore, straw mats had the best effect among them, resulting in the lowest runoff coefficient (10.9%) and sediment yield (8.5 g m− 2).