Notices, Product News & Updates
This coming year will be a challenge for DOT's and manufacturers trying to deal with all of the conflicting product approval testing programs and new magic carpets (RECPs) being offered on every street corner, even contractor direct. State product approval staff certainly have their work cut out for them. To establish manufacturer accountability for non conforming erosion control blankets flooding the market place disguised as top notch functional equivalents to performance defined materials is difficult to stay focused on. The endeavor becomes further complicated with the game show like competition to implement new fangled test methods to establish conformance determinations.
NTPEP announces the implementation of their program that uses unsubstantiated controversial Bench Scale Test Methods that have literally failed to provide any kind of performance correlations between conforming and non-conforming materials. The NTPEP program coordinators have not been provided any guidance or instructions on how the NTPEP program subscribers are to interpret the data these test methods produce. DOT's are being offered a program that does not have an ability to distinguish between conforming and non-conforming materials. The Bench Scale Test Methods are further prohibited by disclaimer, to be used as an indication of a products performance value. What are DOT product approval personnel expected to do when the majority of all product approval lists are categorized by performance index values? Under the current program, manufactures still submit their own material for testing (no independent third party random sampling) to the one and only laboratory capable of performing the unorthodox tests (no reproducible objectivity) and then are provided a test report containing values that can not be correlated to or warranted for an indication of the products true field performance index.
TTI / TXDOT unveils their new indoor facility that theoretically offers applicants quick turn around times with reasonable correlation to a products large scale field performance indication. So far manufactures have experienced the same untimely delays in the completion of testing cycles, return phone calls for test update information and long program waiting lists. This new program does not allow manufactures to economically provide DOTs timely product approval or recurrent conformance data any better than the old program. Any DOT that subscribes to the TTI / TXDOT product approval testing program is ultimately excluding themselves access to performance defined equivalents that adequately accomplish the erosion control objective. Another important negative consequence of DOTs (other than Texas DOT) adopting or advocating the TTI / TXDOT program is this program was exclusively designed for the state of Texas. The customized soil types, channel profiles, vegetation type, rainfall intensities and event durations are all compiled from Texas historical data and are totally irrelevant to other geographical areas. No test report is provide to manufactures. The testing cycle is a pass or fail evaluation for placement in a performance category range. The up side is the test methods are very close to conforming to ASTM test methods established for slopes and channels and a performance correlation is possible.
The problem for DOTs and manufacturers is these two programs are in complete contradiction of each other. Both truly believe they are divinely appointed state product approval test methods. Who do we believe what are manufactures to invest their resources in?
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Project Location - Palomar Airport Inactive Landfill, San Diego California.
Materials - Greenfix America WS072 Double Net Straw & 9" Rice Straw Wattles.
Slope Gradient - 2:1 / 30 Degree Angle
Project Duration - Approximately 24 months.
The San Diego County Solid Waste Management crew could not have done the job any better than this. The landfill closure cap was a splendid conservative design that utilized highly effective low cost materials for the final erosion control measures. The final grading incorporated a terraced ledge to effectively breakup the long slope length which are subject to runoff from the airport tarmac above. The field installation was the most impressive part of the project. The site was properly graded and prepared for the blanket materials. The RECPs were beautifully installed as per Greenfix general installation guidelines without any hassle. Rice straw sediment control wattles were used at the terminating end of the blanketed slopes to prevent any sediment from making its way to the abutting municipal infrastructure. All materials were inventoried on site for intermittent installation of the segmented closure. Adjacent roadways and flat unimproved surface areas that sloped toward the blanketed slopes were treated with blown straw.
The project has finally been subject to several Southern California winter storm events. New vegetation is emerging through the blanket. There has been no added erosion from the treated area or additional maintenance required other than the removal of a few voluntary native weeds and trash pick up.
See Palomar Airport Landfill - Photo Gallery
The ECTC Bench Scale Test Methods were originally developed to provide economically reproducible performance test methods for product conformance evaluations. The development of the Bench Scale Test Methods has taken a highly inappropriate direction. The following bullet points are a few of the many negatives associated with the use of the current Bench Scale Test Methods.
Bench Scale Test Methods don't provide results comparable to those reported by manufactures large-scale test.
Most credible manufacturers will not warrant the values these test methods provide. (Those manufactures that have large-scale test data to compare).
Bench Scale Test Methods can not distinguish between conforming and non-conforming materials.
The Bench Scale Test Methods have not been reviewed by ASTM or any other qualified technical committee.
Bench Scale Test Methods do not duplicate or simulate field conditions as large scale test do.
Objective reproducibility in any independent laboratory is not possible. There is only one laboratory capable of administering the test method protocols.
The developers and advocates of the Bench Scale Test Methods currently can not provide any recommendations or instructions for interpreting the performance / conformance test data.
The Bench Scale Test Methods prohibited by disclaimer, to be used as an indication of a products performance value.
The use of the Bench Scale Test Methods can definitely qualify an inferior non-conforming product for a standard performance based product approval specification. ASTM physical index property test exist and should be used to evaluate a products reproducible guaranteed quality conformance. If the physical index properties are not significantly changed or altered by the manufacturer, then the field performance values will always be constant for that material as demonstrated by large-scale laboratory testing.
NTPEP currently advocates the use of undeveloped Bench Scale Test Methods to establish material conformance evaluations for DOT subscribers. The intent of the program is clearly documented to produce test results that can not be correlated to manufactures performance data which is derived from proven large scale performance tests.
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With the mergers and acquisitions and marketing design software claims, many DOT are continuing to provide product label acceptance for inferior nonconforming materials that are not manufactured by the marketing company claiming to be the primary producer. These companies support their product design values with design software programs based on factors derived from outdated materials testing that is not correlated to the material being supplied by third party contract manufactures under private label agreements.
No what you are getting! If they did not produce it, they have no control over what you are receiving and probably will not take it back.
More on this subject coming soon.
In an effort to provide customers with a diverse product line to economically provide designers, engineers, maintenance departments, contractors the best proven technology available, Greenfix adds two new 100% synthetic Turf Reinforcement Mats to the line up. In addition to our existing High Performance CFG2000, look at what is new - New Products
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In this trying year full of trials and tribulations for all, Greenfix pledges to maintain our high manufacturing standard for all products. With the unstable competitive conditions Greenfix elects to reject the recommendation of utilizing least cost materials i.e. wheat straw, short cut coconut fibers and .5 pound mass per unit densities. These alternatives which are standard manufacturing practice for all our industry competitors, would substantially reduce production cost but would be a drastic deviation from the highly effective materials we currently provide our loyal patrons. With out an adequate method of enforcing performance specifications or proper product conformance evaluation practices which are capable of reliable differentiation between conforming and nonconforming materials we, continue to rely on your good judgment. Erosion control is limiting the amount of soil disturbance. Highly effective quality materials are the only appropriate means of controlling environmental pollution from accelerated erosion.
Back It Up With Performance.
Finally performance based specifications in CSI format. If you will enforce them they can not be substituted. All the tools necessary for simple comprehensive product selection and complete specification writing of Greenfix America erosion control products. All specifications are available in a PDF format or Microsoft Word format. Available for word processor editing to customize your exact specification requirements.
General Product Descriptions And Product Selection
Long Form Product Specifications In CSI Format
Engineers Comparative Product Evaluation Sheet (Completed)
Certificate Of Compliance Sheets
Index Properties Table
Installation Diagrams
Product Matcher
Greenfix America Products Presentation Power Point
DOT Product Evaluation Presentation Power Point
Weed Free Certification
And Much More
Contact Us - To Obtain A Copy Of The Comprehensive Green Spec Specification CD
A Guide To Understanding, Evaluating, Implementing and Selecting Erosion & Sediment Control Practices.