Because currently available performance properties are generally derived from infrequent, single-specimen, non-standard large-scale tests, the results must be used cautiously. Variations in the mass per unit area, raw materials, manufacturing processes, and other product and production components make frequent testing imperative for accurate characterization of erosion control products (ECPs) and sediment retention devices (SRDs). Thus, the importance of the indexed bench-scale performance indicator test – that focuses on testing the ECP/soil or SRD/soil system under carefully controlled “standard” conditions but on a scale that facilitates lower cost and quicker testing. Bench-scale tests have been developed for slope erosion, channel erosion, vegetation enhancement, and biodegradability for ECPs, and filtration efficiency and flow rate for SRDs.

TRI has worked extensively with the Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC) to develop bench-scale indexed performance test procedures to provide low cost, reproducible measurements of product performance. TRI performs the following bench-scale performance tests:

Slope Erosion & Runoff Reduction – ASTM D 7101

Permissible Shear and Channel Erosion – ASTM D 7207

Germination/Vegetation Growth – ASTM D 7322

Biodegradability – Not yet standardized

Filtration Efficiency and Flow Rate – ASTM D 5141