A summer thunderstorm on a Colorado jobsite once turned our freshly graded cut into a muddy luge track. We rolled out jute mesh between bursts of rain, and within minutes the open weave had tamed the sheet flow and held the seed in place— a visual reminder that a natural fiber mat can do what silt fence alone cannot. Drawing on two decades of projects and Wellco Industries’ ISO ‑certified supply chain, this guide shows how jute mesh keeps slopes—and budgets—intact.
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Made from long bast fibers of Corchorus capsularis, the netting delivers ≥1.4 kN/m dry tensile strength yet decomposes into humus within 8–24 months, matching the establishment window of most seed mixes.
A FHWA Tech Brief measured a 78 % reduction in sediment loss on jute‑lined plots compared with bare soil—just 4 % shy of plastic nets but without micro‑plastic residue Wellcoindustries. Life‑cycle modeling shows jute erosion mats cut greenhouse‑gas impact by more than 80 % versus synthetics.
Stapled every 0.8 m², the coarse yarn grips soil particles and provides a scaffold for roots, tripling shear resistance within six weeks according to field tests that logged 99 % soil‑loss reduction on steep plots.
Each strand absorbs up to five times its weight in water, releasing moisture slowly. University lysimeter trials recorded 28 % higher germination rates under jute mesh after a 14‑day dry spell.
Newly Cut Road Embankments – Meets DOT Section 713 “Natural Fiber Mats” specs.
Residential Backyard Terraces – Lightweight rolls install without machinery.
Pipeline Rights‑of‑Way – Decomposes before 12‑month restoration audits.
Vineyard & Orchard Hillsides – Boosts cover‑crop vigor, reducing pesticide runoff.
Mine Tailings & Reclamation Banks – Tolerates wide pH and harsh chemistries.
Construction Stockpile Berms – Wraps odd shapes; prevents fines from clogging drains.
Coastal Sand‑Dune Faces – Works with marram grass to capture drifting sand.
Fine‑grade slopes, remove rills >5 cm.
Broadcast seed and slow‑release fertilizer before unrolling the mat.
Overlap rolls 10 cm upslope; shingle overlaps on steep cuts.
“On anything steeper than 1.5H:1V, use one 8‑inch staple every 0.8 m²—about 2,000 per acre,” advises Marisol Kim, CPESC. Switching to heavy‑duty staples cut pull‑outs by 32 % on coarse sand test plots.
Wear cut‑resistant gloves; coarse fibers can abrade skin.
Work from the top down on slopes >34°, tying‑off per OSHA .501.
Verify underground utilities before staple placement.
Monitoring tips:
Inspect after every rainfall >25 mm; re‑pin lifted edges immediately.
Light irrigation each morning for 10 days in arid zones prevents surface crusting.
Expect surface browning around month 6; by month 18 only root‑bound fibers remain.
The state DOT credited compliance with IECA BMP‑ES‑23 for rapid sign‑off, saving the contractor $18 k in potential liquidated damages ieca.org.
Carbon footprint: LCA data shows jute mats carry 84 % lower CO₂ eq. per hectare than polypropylene.
Disposal savings: On‑site biodegradation eliminates landfill fees averaging $72/ton.
Labor efficiency: 45 kg rolls handled by two laborers—no forklift rental needed.
Which ASTM tensile‑test method do you certify (ASTM D or ISO )?
Do fiber farms follow OECD‑FAO due‑diligence guidelines?
Can you palletize mixed SKU loads for consolidated ocean freight?
Wellco controls the chain from fiber spinning to final QC, offering custom roll widths (1.2–2.4 m), organic pesticide‑free fiber verification, and global hubs (Houston, Rotterdam, Shanghai) that cut door‑to‑door lead‑time to 22 days.
When soil, seed, and a supportive matrix work together, slopes thrive. Jute mesh anchors particles, conserves moisture, and quietly biodegrades once vegetation takes over. Pair that with an ISO‑certified supplier like Wellco Industries and you gain both environmental credibility and logistics reliability. Need project‑specific shear‑stress checks or a trial roll? Our engineers are ready to help.
Q1. How long does jute mesh last on a typical 2:1 slope?
Expect visible integrity for 8–12 months; fibers fully degrade by 18–24 months, leaving only plant roots.
Q2. Can I hydroseed over the mat instead of under it?
Yes—but seeding first, then covering, yields higher germination because seed–soil contact improves.
Q3. Is jute safe for waterways and wildlife?
The mat is 100 % biodegradable and free of synthetic netting, reducing entanglement risks for birds and reptiles.
Q4. What gradients require heavy‑duty 8‑inch staples?
Slopes steeper than 1.5H:1V or those with sandy soils benefit from longer staples to prevent pull‑out.
The axial stiffness of geogrids is obtained by dividing its allowable long term design tensile strength by its limite strain:
where:
The short term ultimate tensile strength is obtained by tensile tests according to ISO :
The stress – strain curves of Maccaferri geogrids are summarised in the following plot:
The design strength of ParaWeb geostrips is evaluated by tensile tests according to ISO . Anyway the obtained value is in kN. To get a value in kN/m, the resistance of one ParaWeb geostrip have to be multiplied by the number of strips in one meter width.
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The long term strength and the reduction factor for tensile creep (RFCR or A1) can be derived from creep rupture curves (for long-term applications where strain is not a limiting factor), and from isochronous curves (for applications where strain is a limiting factor).
Note that for the advanced modelling with stress- strain (N – ε) curve, tensile curves at different elapsed time (examples: 1,000 hours at the end of construction, 120 years at the end of design life) should be used: the related values can be obtained from the isochronous curves of each geogrid.
The limit strain ε related to reinforced soil structures where strain is not a limiting factor should be assumed equal to the Nominal strain at maximum tensile strength (ε = 9.0 % for Paragrid; ε = 9.5 % for Paralink)
For the limit strain ε related to reinforced soil structures and basal reinforcement where deformation should be limited, the following values are suggested:
The suggested limit strain for ParaWeb geostrips is 3 – 5 %.
The following procedure should be followed.
Input steps
– Definition of the Geometry, Loads, Materials
– Generation of the Mesh
– Initial conditions
– Definition of the phreatic level
– Generation of water pressure by phreatic level
– Go to Calculate
Calculations steps
After input steps are completed, the calculation starts.
Before proceeding to the analysis, a gravity loading phase shall be carried out. This represents the initial step in which the initial in-situ pressures and stresses are defined.
Initially, when creating the finite element model, although the soil parameters has been assigned and the finite element mesh has been created, the soil body self-weight, i.e. the initial stresses, has not been counted for.
A special procedure is necessary to generate or to calculate the initial stresses within the soil body. As the name implied, initially only the original soil body exists, therefore, all the structural elements and geometry changes, e.g.: backfilling, excavation, all structural elements of the wall shall not be activated.
– Gravity Loading
– Calculation type: Plastic analysis
– Control parameters: Select Ignore undrained behaviour
– Loading input: Select Total multipliers
– Total multipliers: Define Σ-Mweight = 1
Once Gravity Loading has been defined four Calculation types can be performed:
– Plastic Analysis,
– Consolidation Analysis,
– Phi/c reduction,
– Dynamic Analysis (not covered here).
The steps and the options to be selected are:
Plastic Analysis
– Excavation phases, staged construction phases and loading phases
– Calculation type: Plastic analysis
– Control parameters: Select Reset displacements to zero
– Reset displacements to zero when needed (after excavation phases or staged construction phases to evaluate post-construction displacements and deformation)
– Loading input: Staged construction
– Define Geometry, Loads, Materials
Consolidation Analysis
– C1) Consolidation phases
– Calculation type: Consolidation analysis
– Loading input: Staged construction
– Define Time interval in days (for example 200 days)
– Define Geometry, Loads, Materials
– C2) Minimum pore Pressure
– Calculation type: Consolidation analysis
– Loading input: Minimum pore pressure
– |P-stop|: 1 kN/m2
Pseudo-static Seismic Analysis
– After Excavation phases, staged construction phases and loading phases
– a Pseudo-static seismic analysis can be carried out. For this type of analysis, in the Input Program General Settings, the Acceleration shall be defined. It is in G units in both X and Y direction. All combinations shall be done (+X +Y; +X -Y; -X +Y; -X -Y).
– Calculation type: Plastic analysis
– Loading input: Total multipliers
– Total multipliers: Define Σ-Mweight = 1 and Σ-Maccel = 1
Factor of Safety Analysis
At the end of three previously described Analysis, a Factor of Safety Analysis can be selected to evaluate the degree of stability of the solutions.
– Calculation type: Phi/c reduction
– Loading input: Incremental multipliers
– Incremental multipliers: Msf = 0.1
– In limit equilibrium analysis, the stability of walls must be analysed in three parts. The first part is the internal stability of the wall, whether the geogrids have adequate pull out and breaking resistance against the acting forces. The second part is related to wall check, whether the wall as a block has the required translational, rotational, and bearing capacity factors of safety. The last part is the global stability.
– Finite element method can only give one safety factor, the weakest one among all those generated by limit equilibrium calculation. Finite element analysis carries out the safety analysis by keeping on reducing the shear strength of the soil, until a chain plastic points (failure points) is formed and failure is triggered. The safety factor is then obtained by dividing the original shear strength parameter by the last shear strength parameter that trigger failure. This generally means the other safety factors shall be larger than the weakest safety.
Stresses on soil:
Stresses on reinforcing elements:
Stresses on elements shall be checked and compared to the design values. If the design value is reached the element will work in the plastic field. Usually, this option is not wanted, and the elements are preferred working in the elastic field. If the design value is reached, stronger geogrids shall be selected.
Construction settlements:
By adding construction phases, it is possible to evaluate construction settlements whether they are plastic or due to consolidation.
Post-construction settlements due to consolidation:
By Resetting displacements to zero after the construction of the Reinforced Soil Structure, there is the chance to evaluate the post-construction settlements and deformations due to live/traffic loading and consolidation.
Vertical and horizontal deformations:
Deformations and displacements are checked in Serviceability Limit States (SLS). Limiting values shall be given by the Client.
Deformations in reinforcing elements:
This part is needed to verify if the initial assumptions made on the deformation of the reinforcement are respected. By comparing the initial length of the reinforcement with the final one which is deformed, the strain of the element can be computed. In Reinforced Soil Structures, the actual elastic strains of the elements are in the range 0.5 – 1% in normal working conditions.
Potential slip surface:
Potential slip surfaces can be seen by means of the Plastic point history available in Stresses or through the Total displacements option in Deformations since excessive displacements will lead to large deformations and therefore slip surfaces.
Factors of Safety
The factor of safety can be obtained once that the Safety analysis is completed. In the Reached values option of the Phases, the Reached safety factor is displayed. This is the last value computed at the end of the analysis. The values can be even displayed in a Curve having in the X-Axis the displacements of a point and in the Y-Axis the ΣMsf Multiplier.
Plane Strain Vs Axisymmetry Model:
In case of plain strain modelling, the model in the next figure results in a long out of plane MSE wall construction. On the other hand, if axysimmetry model with rotation axis on the left-hand side is adopted, it results in a circular Island shape MSE wall.
The plane strain model means the strains can only take place in the xy plane. Along the longitudinal axis (out of plane direction) the strain is assumed to be zero, εz = 0. Consequently, the length of the MSE wall must be significantly larger than its width.
The axisymmetric model means the lateral, or more precisely, the radial strains of the model are equal in all direction, εx = εz. As the name implies the structures in the model is symmetrical along the vertical y axis and the model is rotated at the y axis, hence the model in the following figure results in a circular island shape MSE wall.
Note: in Plaxis the rotating axis is always at the left boundary.
Failure in choosing the right model of plane strain or axysimmetry will lead to incorrect output
Conclusion: Remember selecting Plane Strain model for our applications
Facing Element Modelling:
Modelling the facing with plate elements, the analysis will result in bending moment induced in the facing element as shown in the following figure. This type of modelling is developed in case of concrete facing panels and shotcrete facing.
Modelling the facing with soil cluster with the actual dimensions of the facing unit shall be done in the case of Gabion walls or Terramesh System. If water can drain through the facing element, the drainage type is chosen as drained. If water cannot penetrate through the facing element, the drainage type is chosen as non-porous. When the facing units can slip or move one another then ‘interface elements’ should be added in between units.
Conclusion:
For concrete facing elements, plate elements shall be used (MacRes and MacWall).
For all other cases, the facing shall be modelled as Soil cluster.
Initial Stress and Gravity Loading
Often the initial water pressure and the initial effective stresses of the original ground are generated through the so called K0 procedure. The K0 procedure calculates the stresses within the soil body by the following simple equation:
where σh=’ is the horizontal earth pressure at rest, K0 is the coefficient of earth pressure at rest, σv=’ is the effective vertical overburden pressure. This procedure is correct only when all the geometry of the ground surface, the ground layers, and the ground water table are horizontal.
Where the ground surface, the subsoil layer, or the ground water level is not horizontal, the Zm procedure will lead to the existence of unbalanced forces or non-equilibrium of initial forces within the soil body, which are obviously not correct. In such cases, to maintain equilibrium, there should be shear stresses developed within the soil body.
Therefore, the K0 procedure should not be used, instead a gravity loading procedure, where the shear stresses are calculated should be chosen.
The option of gravity loading and K0 procedure in the initial phase is available in Plaxis 2D version and above. For Plaxis 2D version 9 and below, the gravity loading stage needs to be done by skipping the K0 procedure. This way no initial stresses within the soil body is developed. The initial stresses of the soil body are then calculated in the calculation module of the program by selecting the first phase as plastic ‘Calculation type’, and if any of the soil layer is modelled as undrained, the ‘Ignore undrained behaviour’ option in the ‘Parameter’ tab must be selected (this is since initially, when no external load and no geometry changes is made, the soil is in a drained condition). In the ‘Loading input’ section, the ‘Total multiplier’ option is selected, and in the ‘Multiplier’ tab, key in Σ-Mweight = 1. Then the next actual construction stages are modelled.
Conclusion: Perform Gravity loading procedure for our applications if the geometry is not horizontal
Steps to import reinforcements, anchor bars and HR-plates, default embankment soils, TMS, GTM and Mineral GTM facing elements and Design Approaches are presented.
• The Geogrids material set has DT products, Paraproducts, Rockfall netting products as introduced in the Technical guideline of Maccaferri solutions with FEM. The reinforcements have been modelled as Elastoplastic elements with Short/Long Term properties in case of Gravel or Sand fills.
• Anchor bars have been implemented as Elastoplastic Embedded beam rows.
• Stone fill for TMS and Mineral GTM and default soil fills have been implemented with the hardening soil model (GW – Well graded gravel, GP – Poorly graded gravel, GM – Silty gravel with trace of fines, GC – Clayey gravel, G-G – Gravel with trace of fines).
• Facing elements and HR-Plates have been implemented as Elastoplastic Plates.
• Design Approaches for EC7, NTC 18 and BS have been introduced.
To import a material data set in Plaxis:
• Click on the Show materials button
• Click on the Show global button
For reinforcements:
• Select Geogrids in the Set type command to import the reinforcement data set
• Click on the Select button at the right bottom
• The file to be selected is: GeogridMat.matdb
• Click on the chosen materials and click on the left arrow to import
For Anchor bars:
• Select Embedded beam rows in the Set type command to import the reinforcement data set
• Click on the Select button at the right bottom
• The file to be selected is: EmbeddedBeam2DMat.matdb
• Click on the chosen materials and click on the left arrow to import
For default embankment soil types:
• Select Soil and interfaces in the Set type command to import the default soil data set
• Click on the Select button at the right bottom
• The file to be selected is: SoilMat.matdb
• Click on the chosen materials and click on the left arrow to import
For Green Terramesh, Mineral GTM facing and HR-Plates:
• Select Plates in the Set type command to import the facing plate elemens data set
• Click on the Select button at the right bottom
• The file to be selected is: PlateMat2D.matdb
• Click on the chosen materials and click on the left arrow to import
To import a Design Approach:
• Click on Soil at the Top of the window
• Click on the Design approaches button
• Click on Import/Export
• Click on the Select button at the right bottom
• The file to be selected is: GlobalDesignApproaches.dat
• Click on the chosen Global design approaches and click on the left arrow to import
• For further information on the Design Approaches read the Plaxis Reference Manuals (par. 5.8.1)
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