Propex Operating Company, LLC - 4019 Industry Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37416 - p 800 621 1273 - www.propexglobal.com
4. Allowable Vehicle Traffic:
A. If using equipment on PYRAMAT, it should be of the rubber-tired type and should avoid sharp turns.
Tracked equipment is not permitted to drive over the PYRAMAT without vegetation at any time.
B. Avoid any traffic over PYRAMAT if loose or wet soil conditions exist.
5. Disturbed areas should be reseeded. If ruts or depressions develop for any reason, rework soil until
smooth and reseed such areas.
SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE
The purpose of this section is to provide some general guidelines for performing short-term and long-term
maintenance of PYRAMAT with respect to maintaining vegetation reinforced with PYRAMAT, and patching of
PYRAMAT (in the event it needs to be removed or replaced). These procedures are to be considered minimum
guidelines for proper maintenance, and further maintenance techniques may be appropriate considering local
practices and procedures.
PYRAMAT PROTECTED SLOPES
For PYRAMAT to be most effective, it is important to ensure that it is properly maintained both during
construction and after construction. Identifying trouble areas is easy with PYRAMAT, and it can make
identifying potential threats much simpler and manageable. Look for areas with sparse, dying, or no
vegetation as these are obvious signs that PYRAMAT is losing intimate contact with the slope surface. If loss of
ground surface occurs, PYRAMAT will need to be removed and reinstalled as described in PATCHING AND
REPAIRS Section after the eroded area is backfilled with compacted soil that is similar to material of the slope.
After PYRAMAT is reinstalled, re-establish vegetation on the newly installed PYRAMAT and disturbed areas.
Monitor the sites to determine if frequent watering may be required to establish vegetation.
To minimize exposure to unwanted maintenance and repair, PYRAMAT armored slopes should be free of
unauthorized vehicular traffic. Routine maintenance and slope inspections should be performed with rubber
tired vehicles. Tracked equipment such as skid steers, excavators, or dozers should only be allowed to traffic
over PYRAMAT in times of emergency after vegetation establishment is complete. Failure to control
unauthorized traffic can result in PYRAMAT being damaged resulting in erosion below PYRAMAT during storm
events. In addition, routine mowing maintenance should be used to keep the protected area free of unwanted
brush, saplings, and trees. Selective herbicides that target only the unwanted plants can be used as long as
the vegetation established with PYRAMAT is not impaired. Failure to control the sapling and tree growth can
result in the trees being uprooted during a flood.
MAINTAINING VEGETATION
Good vegetative cover will ensure maximum performance of PYRAMAT. Vegetative cover care starts before a
project is complete and is ongoing until all PYRAMAT is installed. Vegetative cover should be given every
opportunity to grow and establish well. This will require that a contractor periodically fertilize, water, and mow
the grasses as needed until a project is complete in the short-term, with the owner of the slope fulfilling the
maintenance of the slope in a similar fashion for the long-term. For the entire lifecycle of PYRAMAT, every effort
must be made to prevent unauthorized encroachments, grazing, vehicle traffic, the misuse of chemicals, or
burning during inappropriate seasons.
1. After the installation of vegetation is complete, immediately water and soak the entire area using a fine
spray to prevent erosion and loss of seeds. A suggested amount of water is identified below. Prior to
installation if using sod, the sod pads in storage should be kept moist at all times and not stored for more
