New Project: Development of Erosion Control Product Longevity Test Methodology

MnDOT has approved products for blanket and hydromulches. There are many versions of each type of temporary erosion prevention materials, that vary in thickness, composition, and cost.

The two most common stabilization methods to control erosion and establish vegetation used by MnDOT are Hydraulic Erosion Control Products (HECP) and Rolled Erosion Prevention Products (REPP). Specifying the best fitting product for the situation keeps MnDOT in compliance with stormwater permits and is more cost effective.

Better product selection will result in better environmental protection, better regulatory compliance, and cost savings. Environmental compliance for stormwater management and erosion control often costs between 5% and 15% of total construction costs.

“The research is highly needed and is the first attempt to create a standard for functional longevity for biodegradable erosion prevention best practices,” said Dwayne Stenlund, MnDOT stormwater management and erosion prevention. “Data will be used to improve state and national index and performance standards.”

Objectives

In a new project, researchers will develop a test methodology that can be used to evaluate the functional longevity of rolled erosion prevention products (REPP) and hydraulic erosion control product (HECP) which will be referred to collectively here as erosion control products (ECP).

The objectives are:

Further the understanding of how environmental exposure affects ECP performance
Evaluate if longevity can be accelerated for product comparisons
Evaluate if a simple index test can be correlated to longevity
Evaluate if performance testing can be incorporated into functional longevity testing

Project Details

Estimated Start Date: 10/27/2022
Estimated Completion Date: 06/30/2026
Funding: MnDOT
Principal Investigator: John Chapman
Co-Principal Investigators: Brett Barney, Jessica Kozarek, Jay Sprague, Rebecca Forman
Technical Liaison: Dwayne Stenlund