Soil Bioengineering as an Alternative for Roadside Management: Benefit-Cost Analysis Case Study

Abstract

As an environmentally compatible and cost-efficient alternative for roadside management, soil bioengineering has become increasingly important and attractive. Soil bioengineering uses live plants and plant parts as building materials for engineering and ecologically sound solutions to erosion control, slope and stream bank stabilization, landscape restoration, and wildlife habitats. However, not all decision makers are aware of the specific benefits of this approach. This case study applied a benefit-cost analysis to an experimental soil bioengineering demonstration project to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of soil bioengineering as an alternative to traditional roadside management. Traditional roadside management methods (geotechnical solutions) were used as the baseline, and soil bioengineering treatments were treated as an investment alternative. Cost savings, along with other environmental benefits, were assessed and compared with construction costs. The effects of life cycle, effectiveness, and discounting were included in the analysis to ensure comparability between both treatments. The analytical results demonstrate that soil bioengineering methods, if technically feasible, could be adopted to produce equal or better economic and environmental results. The findings of the research project and the economic analysis indicate that soil bioengineering is an efficient and environmentally beneficial tool for roadside management.