Geosynthetics October/November 2022 - 38

ECTC NEWS
The Erosion Control
Technology Council
(ECTC) is committed to
promoting cost-effective
erosion and sediment
control solutions through
leadership, standardization
and education. ECTC
assists agencies, engineers,
designers, contractors and
other entities in the proper
application, installation and
specification of erosion and
sediment control technologies
while establishing guidelines
for product quality, testing
and performance.
By Kurt Kelsey
Green MSE walls and erosion and
sediment control applications
M
echanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls are becoming more common in today's
landscape. Keeping soil in place during construction (erosion control), addressing
stormwater contaminated with sediment-laden runoff during construction (sediment
control), and providing successful revegetation after construction activities are all
challenges that are commonly solved by members of the Erosion Control Technology
Council (ECTC). ECTC is a leading industry organization home to top manufacturers of
erosion and sediment control products, component suppliers, material distributors and
test laboratories. ECTC members are dedicated to advancing the knowledge, experience
and expertise of erosion and sediment control. The nonprofit organization's mission is
to develop performance standards, uniform testing procedures, and guidance on the application
and installation of hydraulic erosion control products (HECPs), rolled erosion
control products (RECPs), and sediment retention fiber rolls (SRFRs). ECTC recently
expanded its reach to other technologies as well, and the organization promotes the use
of erosion and sediment control
products through industry leadership
and education in the hope of
making a substantial contribution
to the science of erosion control
and environmental preservation.
ECTC's expertise is called
Kurt Kelsey is the president
of the Erosion Control
Technology Council and
division director of the Earth
Science Division at American
Excelsior Company.
upon for all phases-the before,
during and after-of most MSE
wall construction projects. MSE
walls traditionally have been a
combination of materials that
provide a stabilized slope with a
form of hard armor facing. These
facings have evolved through the
years, and even though they are
hard armor, they can be quite
beautiful after artistic touches are
applied to their public-facing surface.
However, a trend of MSE walls in some areas is to incorporate a vegetated facing.
These " green " MSE walls provide both a softer look and all the benefits of vegetated
solutions such as water filtration (removal of nutrients, heavy metals, etc.), pollinator
corridors, and cooler temperature runoff to adjacent water bodies.
Vegetated MSE walls are commonly built with SRFRs or other bag-like materials
FIGURE 1 Badly eroded roadside slope adjacent to stream
before restoration
that are filled with compost or engineered soil mixes. The SRFRs or bags are wrapped in
geogrid material that contains sufficient opening sizes to accommodate planting of live
stakes and/or plugs without the need to cut the material. It is important to start the bottom

Geosynthetics October/November 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Geosynthetics October/November 2022