Guidelines for Resilient Erosion- and Sediment-Control Practices

Construction operations are regulated by the Clean Water Act, which requires construction operators to file for a Construction General Permit (CGP) and develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). To maintain compliance with the CGP, construction operators must implement erosion- and sediment-control (E&SC) practices during land-disturbing activities to minimize the transport and discharge of sediment impacts to downstream waterbodies. E&SC practices can incur a considerable cost, estimated to be as high as 8% of the total budget for highway construction projects. Inadequate design and implementation of E&SC practices may lead to penalties, fines, construction delays, legal actions, and increased public involvement. Resilient E&SC practices can withstand more frequent and intense rain events while maintaining their efficacy and performance standards. Resilient E&SC practices may involve optimizing current installation approaches to specific site conditions and regions, implementing unconventional E&SC practices with current technologies, and employing new cost-effective technologies and methods. Research is needed to develop and provide a resiliency-based approach to the design of E&SC practices by identifying and addressing design vulnerabilities related to the performance expectations of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or state CGPs. The objective of this project is to develop design guidelines for the resiliency-based selection of structural and nonstructural E&SC practices during highway construction and to identify design vulnerabilities influenced by factors such as hydrologic conditions, soil types, slopes, and the drainage area disturbed.  

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5548
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $750000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 24-52

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Zhao, Yi

• Start Date: 20240805
• Expected Completion Date: 20270804
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction sites; Erosion control; Guidelines; Risk management; Road construction; Runoff; Sediments
• Subject Areas: Construction; Environment; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01894691
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 24-52
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Sep 26 2023 4:58PM