Erosion Control June 2012 : Page 52
@ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ HANIBARAM Modeling and mapping software and GIS use in erosion control BY TARA BEECHAM U sed at construction sites for years, geographic information systems (GISs) and modeling and mapping software are taking a central role in erosion control planning and design today. With 3D graphics, animation, and projection detailing what a present site will look like years into the future, project engineers are making use of these technologies to save time and money as they work to control sediment and monitor water quality onsite before problems begin, keeping projects stream-lined and on track. This is no surprise to those who’ve seen this technology advance in leaps and bounds. Richard Phillips, a Williamsburg, VA-based professional engineer who has worked as a con-sultant in private practice for more than four decades and is currently the senior civil /structural reviewer on the Code Review Team at the Department of Facilities Management at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, first saw the possible effects modeling software could have for civil engineers in the industry’s early days. “I was aware of the possible benefits before hardware and software was available. I purchased my first computer in 1983 and immediately began seeking applications in terrain model-ing, structural analysis and hydrology. At first there was very little available, and we tried writing our own,” he says. “As systems became available, it allowed individuals (sole practitio-ners) to compete with larger firms.” It’s important to understand the role software has to play on a project site. “The software is merely a tool. The engineer has to un-derstand the problem and the limitations of the software. It is relatively easy to put numbers in and get numbers out. The operator has to understand what makes sense,” says Phillips. He relates the example of using HydroCAD Software Solutions modeling software as part of the development of a Virginia-based shopping center about six years ago. “It required the clearing of approximately 27 acres and the movement of more than 175,000 cubic yards of material. Storm drainage from offsite discharged uncontrolled on to it and flowed across it through a wide ravine, which was to be filled to a height of 30 feet,” he says. “HydroCAD allowed me to draft a mass grading plan, diverting the offsite runoff around the work area and collecting the onsite drainage into a series of sediment basins, which were shifted as the grading progressed. Because of its modeling capabilities, I could predict expected flow and 52 EROSION CONTROL WWW.EROSIONCONTROL.COM
Charting the Future
Tara Beecham
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