Clean air: A greener wall

Construction in progress on the green wall

Projects identified by Dow’s Nature Team often use engineered natural technologies. These technologies use or mimic natural processes that deliver the same design functionality as a man-made solution while also benefiting the triple bottom line – planet, people and profit. An example is an erosion protection solution implemented in Aratu, Brazil.

Problem

Excavation for new brine wells at Matarandiba Island resulted in unstable and unsafe embankments.

Solution

The embankments were stabilized using gabions made with local stone and vegetation in lieu of conventional alternatives, such as excavating the slope or stabilizing with concrete and tie-back anchors. The result was less forest being removed and a green, living slope in place of a concrete wall. The reinforced vegetated slope is estimated to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90 percent compared with conventional alternatives.

Business value

Stabilizing the embankment with local, readily available materials saved $1.6 million versus the least expensive alternatives.