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Pnctiml Appmactia for Effective E & S Coowl - 75 <br />INTRODUCTION <br />A wide range of erosion and sediment control problems has resulted in a variety of technology <br />designed to provide solutions. How is the final decision made on which material or technique <br />to use? Should cost always be the limiting factor? Can dissimilar products be compared for <br />the same application? <br />No equation presently exisu whereby an erosion control planner can determine the most cost- <br />effective solution to a specific erosion problem. The method of comparison described in this <br />paper is not presented as a mathematical model, but attempts to separate and take into account <br />all of the variables which impact the decision making process when one selecu a Best <br />Management Practice (BMP) for erosion or sediment control. The Erosion Control Benefit <br />Matrix (ECBM) highlighu the six characteristics most designers consider in the selection <br />process; acceptance, cost, effectiveness, installation, vegetation establishment and <br />maintenance. <br />The ECBM brraks these components down further into categories which details their impact on <br />the erosion control system. <br />As presented, the ECBM is a flexible tool, capable of further refinement by the user. Hard <br />numbers can be developed for some variables within the matrix, most notably, cost, <br />effectiveness or physical characteristics. But when comparing dissimilar technologies, e.g. <br />• erosion control blankets to hydraulic mulches, other, more subjective considerations sometimes <br />influence the decision making process. <br />USING THE ECBM <br />The ECBM is designed to be used as a vertical checklist whereby two BMPs can be evaluated <br />side by side as to their erosion control benefits. Numbers can be assigned at the user's <br />discretion to derive a final "point total" at the end of the process, but since there are no <br />importance values assigned to each variable, the value of the final number would seem to be <br />useless. <br />Weighted values can be assigned when the user knows which characteristics are most important <br />or most limiting in their particular application. For example, if inexperience labor crews will <br />be applying the BMP with limited training, perhaps the durability or ease of installation will be <br />of more importance than environmental compatibility. <br />The ECBM can be used to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of new products <br />being developed for the erosion control marketplace. In this regard, it can help define the <br />relative niche of a new material or concept by exploring the existing alternatives presently <br />available, their historical use and specification for establishing fully the cosu of installation <br />and maintenance. <br /> <br />O 1995 IECA <br />