The expanded Sediment Erosion Control (SEC) Laboratory officially opened its sprayers on September 4 marking the completion of a year-long construction project that more than doubles the capabilities of the research facility. The grand opening was celebrated with a two-day event that also featured a sediment and erosion control workshop.
During her remarks, Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Environment and Planning Program Manager Jolanda Prozzi noted key benefits that the expanded SEC Lab offers. “The main benefit is that there will be no more long waiting lists to get products tested,” said Prozzi. “In some cases, we had sponsors waiting up to two years for testing. This expansion will allow us to be more responsive, and also give us the capacity to do research. Previously our facility was tied up with product testing, but with the expansion we may dedicate test beds to research.” The expansion includes a new rainfall simulator building that houses three 8-feet by 40-feet variable slope soil fill test beds that accommodate any slope up to 2:1 (50 percent). Adjacent to the new rainfall simulator building is a 1,500-foot covered sediment bed preparation area. This area creates a dry work space for storage of the new larger test beds during inclement weather. The expansion also includes a 40-foot by 60-foot soil storage building that allows for test bed preparation during rain events without affecting antecedent soil moisture, a critical factor in the indoor testing procedure. Read more…