TRI’s large-scale erosion and sediment control testing facility in the upstate of South Carolina at the Denver Downs Research Facility (DDRF) expands on our industry-leading index and bench-scale erosion and sediment control testing capabilities

• ASTM D 6459: Determination of Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Performance in Protecting Hillslopes from Rainfall-Induced Erosion;
• ASTM D 6460: Determination of Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Performance in Protecting Earthen Channels from Stormwater-Induced Erosion;
• ASTM D 7208: Determination Of Temporary Ditch Check Performance In Protecting Earthen Channels From Stormwater-Induced Erosion.
• ASTM D 7351  Determination Of Sediment Retention Device Effectiveness In Sheet Flow Applications

ASTM D 6459: 
Determination of Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Performance in Protecting Hillslopes from Rainfall-Induced Erosion.  This is full-scale simulated rainfall on 3:1 slopes with bare and RECP-protected soil, including:

• Rainfall Intensities = 50, 100, 150 mm/hr @ 20 minutes each;
• 1 control + 3 replicate slopes;
• Inclined (3:1) slopes, 40-ft long and 8-ft wide;
• 12-inch compacted soil veneer;
• Simulated rain system with 14-ft drop height & up to 6+ inches/hr capacity.
  

ASTM D 6460: 
Determination of Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Performance in Protecting Earthen Channels from Stormwater-Induced Erosion. This is full-scale channel flow with RECP-protected soil, including:

• Increasing Shear Levels psf @ 30 minutes each;
• 3 replicate test sections;
• Rectangular (flume) or Trapezoidal cross-section with 5% slope;
• Rectangular cross-section has 2-ft width and 2-ft high side walls;
• Trapezoidal cross-section has 2-ft bottom and 2H:1V side-slopes;
• 12-inch compacted soil veneer;
• 80-ft total length;
• Flow capacity up to 70cfs for 30 minutes = 126000 ft3 = 31500 gpm.
  

ASTM D 7208:
Determination of Temporary Ditch Check Performance in Protecting Earthen Channels from Stormwater-Induced Erosion.  This is full-scale channel flow (3 cfs) in a trapezoidal channel with check structure(s) installed.  The test method evaluates the ability of temporary ditch checks to protect earthen channels from storm water-induced erosion.  Critical elements of this protection are the ability of the temporary ditch check to:

• Slow and/or pond runoff to encourage sedimentation, thereby reducing soil particle transport downstream;
• Trap soil particles upstream of structure; and
• Decrease soil erosion.
• This test method utilizes full-scale testing procedures and is patterned after conditions typically found on construction sites at the conclusion of earthwork operations, but prior to the start of revegetation work.  Therefore this test method considers only unvegetated conditions and provides a comparative evaluation of a temporary ditch check to baseline bare soil conditions under controlled and documented conditions.

ASTM D 7351: 
Determination Of Sediment Retention Device (SRD) Effectiveness In Sheet Flow   Applications.  This is a full-scale installation of an SRD in which sediment-laden water is allowed to “sheet flow” up to and seep through, over, and/or under an installed sediment retention device (SRD).  The measurement of sediment that passes through, over, and/or under the SRD compared to the amount in the upstream flow is used to quantify the effectiveness of the SRD in retaining sediments.

An important variable in any testing procedure is the establishment of test “conditions”.  For a sediment control performance test this means selecting an appropriate design storm event and associated runoff along with an expected amount of sediment to be transported by the runoff.  The default for D 7351 is a standard 10-year, 6-hour storm event (mid-Atlantic region of US).  This return frequency is commonly used for sizing sediment control ponds and, thus, was deemed appropriate for the testing of other SRDs.  Using this criterion, a 100 mm (4 in) rainfall was selected.  It was also assumed that approximately 25% of the storm would occur during the peak 30 minutes, and that 50% of the rainfall would infiltrate into the ground.  A theoretical contributory area of 30 m (100 ft) slope length by 6 m (20 ft) wide was selected to limit runoff to sheet flow conditionsRunoff and associated sediment were calculated using the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) which allows for calculating a storm-specific quantity of sediment. 

Additional Testing Capability: 
The following tests are, or soon will be, available:

• Impoundment capacity and inlet protection capability of a sediment retention system;
• Storm water inlet protection provided by sediment retention devices in curb and gutter applications;
• Vegetated RECP shear testing in 10% channels in accordance with ASTM D 6460;
• Large-scale germination and functional longevity testing using vegetated and unvegetated outdoor plots;
• Shoreline protection under wind-induced wave action.