Instructor:  F. Douglas Shields, Jr, Ph.D., P.E., BC.WRE, F.EWRI, F.ASCE

Course Length: 1 Hour

Purpose and Background

This webinar is a sequel to “Designing Channels for Stream Restoration: Threshold Channel Design” available in ASCE webinar catalog. ASCE has produced a standard approach for stream restoration channel design (Shields et al. 2003, Manual of Practice 110 (Shields et al. 2008), Slate et al. 2007), but many practitioners and regulators prefer other approaches. In fact, some state and federal agencies limit stream restoration project designers to unapproved approaches, presenting professional engineers with potential ethical and liability issues (Slate et al. 2007). This webinar is designed to introduce the overall approach to channel design approved by ASCE, and focus on determining dimensions (width, depth and slope) for one of the two main types of situations recognized by that design approach, alluvial channels. The webinar examines the different approaches to alluvial channel design and present key steps needed to design stream channel restoration projects that include alluvial channel reconstruction or reconfiguration. This webinar also looks at bed material and capacity transport of sediment and examines the recent research in the field.

Primary Discussion Topics

• Alluvial channel design
• Steps in analytical alluvial channel design
• Preliminary design and detailed design
• Simplifying assumptions
• Channel forming discharge
• Obtaining data for design
• Tools for analytical approach
• Use of constraints to narrow design dimensions
• Sediment budget for project reach
• Importance of adding variability to channel template

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Determine when alluvial channel design approaches are required to ensure constructed channel stability with 90% accuracy
• Define channel-forming discharge and its importance in alluvial channel design
• Outline the steps in analytical alluvial channel design
• Identify three key sources of guidance for alluvial channel design using the analytical approach
• List at least two software tools for analytical alluvial channel design

Webinar Benefits

• Understand the ASCE approved approach for channel design
• Specify engineering services and perform design functions in a professional and defensible manner
• Reduce the probability of restoration project failure due to channel instability
• Gain appreciation for the importance of sound hydraulic engineering in stream restoration

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

• Engineers
• Professionals charged with designing stream restoration projects
• Managers responsible for selecting firms for providing design and other consulting services related to stream restoration design

Webinar Outline

• Introduction to alluvial channels
• Steps in analytical design of alluvial channels
• Finding values for design inputs
• Tools for design calculations
• Use of site constraints to narrow range of solutions
• Check design for stability across a range of discharges
• Detailed design
• Summary and conclusions

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]