Course Description:

Who would spend two to three times too much and sacrifice performance, safety, and aesthetics at the same time? Users of rock riprap for erosion control do every day!
“Green Engineering” – the maximum use of vegetation in erosion and sediment control –has proven to be more cost-effective than and to provide superior performance to traditional erosion control technologies.
A wide range of natural and synthetic materials are used to solve a growing array of worldwide erosion and sediment control problems. This course will provide an "up close and personal" look at the world of erosion and sediment control materials, including rolled erosion control products (RECPs). The course will discuss what they are made of, what their performance capabilities and limitations are, how they should be installed, what design tools are available, and how to specify these products for a variety of problem solving applications. Upon completion of the course, attendees will have a comprehensive understanding of how to maximize the performance and cost-effectiveness of erosion and sediment controls.

Course Instructor:

Joel Sprague is based in Greenville, South Carolina where he also consults for Sprague & Sprague Consulting Engineers. He is a registered professional engineer in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. Mr. Sprague has a BS in Civil Engineering from Clemson University, a MEngr in Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina, and an MBA from Queens College. He has been involved in the design and construction of environmentally sensitive projects incorporating innovative engineered materials, including rolled erosion control products and geosynthetics for more than 15 years. He is chairman of the Task Group on Durability of ASTM D35 Committee on Geosynthetics and Chair of ASTM D18.25 Subcommittee on Sediment Control. He is the chairman of the International Erosion Control Association’s Committee B (IECA) on Geotextiles. And, he is also a member of ASCE's GeoInstitutes' Committee on Geosynthetics. He has authored numerous articles and technical papers on the development, testing, and application of erosion control materials and geosynthetics
Mr. Sprague has taught this and other erosion control courses for IECA. Mr. Sprague has also taught courses on geosynthetics for IFAI and for the LTAP Centers in NC and SC.

Who Should Attend:

Best suited for engineering and design professionals who specify and work with rolled erosion control products (RECPs.) Also recommended for contractors, regulatory and enforcement personnel, public works directors, utility companies, mining and ski area construction managers, foresters, landfill operators, and consultants.

Agenda:

Day 1

8:00-8:30 Registration

8:30 Introduction and Overview

The erosion process and control benefits

Characteristics of traditional solutions

Limitations of traditional solutions

The benefits of "Green Engineering"

10:00 Break

10:30 Materials Engineering

Categories and descriptions

Manufacturing processes

Testing procedures

How to write specifications

12:00– Lunch (at the hotel)

12:45 Applications Engineering

Performance windows and limitations

Design procedures and examples (incl. group-solved example problems)

2:45 Break

3:00 Construction Considerations

Installation procedures that insure success

Recommended specifications

4:30 Adjourn