History & Development

Introduction

In 1994, Jimboomba Turf Group recognised the need for a mature turf product that could somehow be strengthened to enable it to withstand high erosion forces.

For many years, turf farmers have been promoting their product as a viable alternative to some revegetation techniques. However, these products have been viewed as either too expensive or as not having the required strength to accommodate the high sheer stresses of fast flowing water.

Erosion control companies in Britain and the USA had for sometime been developing the use of Three Dimensional Turf Reinforcement Meshes (3D TRM's) which were installed under or over a seeded area. Some of these included an organic material such as coir. These products have been reasonably successful in areas where the permanent grass species are cool season grasses, such as rye, tall fescue, or Kentucky Bluegrass. However, because this system only gives limited erosion protection before mature vegetation is established, the 3D TRM system has been less than successful in temperate and warm climates. During the 3 to 6 months it takes to produce a mature mat of warm season grass such as Bermudagrass, rain can produce high flows that wash soil, seed, and fertiliser into waterways. This not only results in the cost and inconvenience of repair or replacement, but can also pollute and contaminate streams and lakes.

Development

A quantity of TRM was firstly acquired and various methods were employed to establish grass. Eventually it was decided the turf was better washed free of soil so as to reduce the final weight of the product, allowing for larger, mature rolls to be harvested. The washed turf was then laid directly onto the reinforced geotextile.

General organic geotextiles have been used in the past with varying degrees of success. The product grew and developed well within the nursery, however, problems were encountered when it was discovered that after transportation the exposed roots of the turf would contract into the thick layers of the geotextile. Often, it would take several months before the grass roots grew down into the soil and stabilised the area.

To overcome this problem, several thicknesses of Jute were trialed to determine the ideal size to use in the production of STAYturf. Scientific testing was then conducted by the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at Griffith University under the supervision of Professor Keppel Coughlan and patents were then applied for and granted in Australia, USA and Canada. Click 'Specification' for further information.