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The National Academies

NCHRP 24-52 [Pending]

Guidelines for Resilient Erosion- and Sediment-Control Practices

  Project Data
Funds: $750,000
Contract Time: 36 Months
Staff Responsibility: Dr. Yi Zhao

BACKGROUND

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. 

 

OBJECTIVE

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.

Accomplishment of the project objective will require at least the following tasks. 

 

TASKS

PHASE I – Preliminary Research

Task 1. Conduct a comprehensive literature review on existing design guidelines and research for E&SC practices. The review shall include published and unpublished research conducted through the NCHRP; the Federal Highway Administration; other national, state, and local agencies; and international organizations, focusing on hydraulic/hydrologic modeling results, as well as performance-based testing practices. The literature review shall categorize E&SC practices that are unstudied, outdated, or recently researched. 

Task 2. Develop and execute a survey for departments of transportation (DOTs) and other highway agencies to identify commonly used E&SC practices, as well as key design and operational factors pertaining to resiliency-based methodologies. The survey shall produce a minimum of 15 responses with national geographic representation.

Task 3. Evaluate and synthesize the findings from Tasks 1 and 2 to identify the knowledge gaps related to the project objective. These gaps shall be addressed in the final product or the recommended future research as budget permits. 

Task 4. Develop a research methodology that will achieve the research objective to be executed in Phase II. The research methodology shall, at a minimum, include the following:

  • Identify design vulnerabilities based on factors such as hydrologic conditions, soil types, slopes, and the drainage area disturbed;
  • Propose a preliminary E&SC practices selection matrix that considers key factors, including but not limited to, resiliency, sizing, placement, effectiveness, maintenance, and functional longevity;
  • Develop an evaluation-and-testing plan to assess the effectiveness of each selected practice, identify their failure points under a range of conditions, and improve the decision-making process to promote the use of resilient E&SC practices; and
  • Determine a resiliency-based design approach for E&SC practices, evaluating potential efficacy and challenges for site implementation. 

Task 5. Develop a draft annotated outline for the design guidelines. The annotated outline is intended to provide the foundation, context, and framework for the draft design guideline to be developed in Task 10.

Task 6. Prepare Interim Report No. 1, which will document Tasks 1 through 5 and provide an updated work plan for the remainder of the research.

 

Phase II – Evaluation and Testing

Task 7. Execute the methodology and testing plan according to the approved Interim Report No. 1 and revise the E&SC practices selection matrix. 

Task 8. Revise the proposed annotated outline for the design guidelines and provide a sample chapter based on the testing results and the revised E&SE practices selection matrix from Task 7. The sample chapter will be selected by the NCHRP and shall be publication-ready.

Task 9. Prepare Interim Report No. 2, which will document Tasks 7 and 8 and provide an updated work plan for the remainder of the research, no later than 14 months after the approval of Phase I. The updated plan must describe the process and rationale for the work proposed for Phase III.

 

PHASE III – Guidelines Development

Task 10. Prepare the draft design guidelines according to the approved Interim Report No. 2 and create the fact sheet for the recommended resilient E&SC practices. The draft design guidelines should be submitted to the NCHRP 6 months before the contract end date.

Task 11. Prepare the final deliverables, which shall include the following:

  • A research report that documents the entire research effort and provides a list of recommended research needed to advance DOTs in achieving water-quality objectives related to E&SC practices in highway construction;
  • The design guidelines for the resiliency-based selection of structural and nonstructural E&SC practices;
  • Fact sheets summarizing the recommended E&SC practices under the various conditions;
  • Outreach materials to support practitioners’ understanding and use of the guidelines;
  • Other media and communication material (presentation, video clips, graphics, press releases); and
  • A stand-alone technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products".



STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP.  The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.

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