The AU-ESCTF main testing facilities currently consist of three, 40 ft test channels; a 200 ft long test earthen channel, a 2,400 cf sediment basin; and fourteen, 8 ft by 8 ft individual product longevity erosion control blanket plots. With these current facilities, the AU-ESCTF has the ability to perform the following services:
- Performance testing and evaluation of ditch check devices, practices, and systems,
- Performance testing and evaluation of inlet protection practices (IPPs),
- Longevity testing of erosion control products to include, rolled erosion control products (RECPs), turf reinforcement mats (TRMs), and hydraulic mulches.
- Evaluation of sediment basin performance using enhanced settling techniques, and
- Erosion and sediment control training for industry professionals (i.e., designers, contractors, inspectors, and regulators)
The facility has the capabilities of: (1) testing erosion control practices (e.g., straw mulch, hydromulch, polyacrylamide, soft armoring, etc.) at an intermediate-scale using simulated rainfall, and (2) testing erosion and sediment control practices (e.g., ditch checks and inlet protection) at a large-scale using simulated channelized flow. The three large-scale test channels are comprised of two identical channels designated for evaluating the performance of various ditch check practices (i.e., rock, hay bales, wattles, silt dikes, etc.) and one channel is used to evaluate inlet protection practices. Each channel is comprised of 30- ft galvanized steel section and a 15-ft earthen section where each ditch check or inlet protection device is installed and evaluated. All test waters from the experimental channels are captured in a sediment basin before being discharged into the lower retention pond.
AU-ESCTF
