Subcommittee 18.25 on Erosion and Sediment Control Technology
The ASTM Subcommittee D18.25 on Erosion and Sediment Control Technologies held its bi-annual meeting in Atlanta, GA February 3rd – 5th, 2020. The meetings were very well attended by industry representatives from a number of manufacturer, regulatory, and testing interests. There were a large number of items discussed related to the testing and specifying of erosion and sediment control technologies. A brief roundup of the sub-committee actions are outlined below:
• New standard test methods, WK67140 – “Test Method for Determination of Erosion Control Products (ECP) Performance in Protecting Slopes from Sequential Rainfall-Induced Erosion Using a Tilted Bed Slope” and WK67141 – “Test Method for Determination of Erosion Control Products (ECP) Performance in Protecting Slopes from Continuous Rainfall-Induced Erosion Using a Tilted Bed Slope” were discussed by the sub-committee. These new standards are in development and each received three negative votes at main committee ballot. These negatives will be addressed and re-balloted for approval. These new standards reflect large scale rainfall erosion testing methodology that is currently used by the Texas Transporation Institute, and Utah State University, respectively. The potential approval of these new standard test methods would represent the first new large scale test methods approved for slope erosion testing in many years. Currently, the only large scale test method for rainfall slope erosion is ASTM D6459 – 19 “Standard Test Method for Determination of Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Performance in Protecting Hillslopes from Rainfall-Induced Erosion”.
• New standard test method, “WK66418 – Test Method for Determining Water Absorption of Rolled Erosion Control Products” was discussed by the sub-committee. This new standard is in development and received two negative votes at main committee ballot. These negatives will be addressed and re-balloted for approval. This new standard would standardize the test methodology originally outlined by the Erosion Control Technology Council in “ECTC Technical Guidance Manual: TASC 00197”.
• ASTM D7101-2013E1 Index Test Method for Determination of Unvegetated Rolled Erosion Control Product (RECP) Ability to Protect Soil from Rain Splash and Associated Runoff Under Bench-Scale Conditions was discussed by the sub-committee. It was determined by the membership of task group 18.25.02 that the negative votes associated with the re-approval of this method were persuasive. The method will be withdrawn without replacement, and become an archival standard, on December 31, 2010.
• It was determined by straw poll that a new standard should be developed exclusively for the evaluation of products designed for area inlet protection. Currently, inlet protection devices are evaluated using a modification to ASTM D7351 “Standard Test Method for Determination of Sediment Retention Device (SRD) Effectiveness in Sheet Flow Applications”. The potential new standard would provide guidance on testing exclusive to inlet filters, grate bags above ground inlet protection devices.
This is brief recap of the important actions that occurred at the February 2020 Subcommittee meetings of ASTM D18.25 on Erosion and Sediment Control Technologies. Interested parties are encouraged to join ASTM International, Inc. ASTM International, Inc. is a volunteer driven organization that is responsible for thousands of standards overseeing the technical aspects of materials and practices ranging from playground equipment to nuclear power safety. ASTM thrives due to the diligence and competence of its volunteer members. Please consider joining ASTM International, Inc. subcommittee D18.25 to help improve the practices of the erosion and sediment control industry.