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BE 467Design of Stormwater and Erosion Control Facilities

3 credits · Biological Engineering · Penn State

This course equips students with the ability to design sediment and stormwater impoundments and erosion control structures used in agriculture and the development of the agricultural-urban interface. Predictive hydrology is presented along with an introduction to a hydrology-based model used in the land-development industry. Basins are presented as fundamental structures used to attenuate stormwater peaks as well as holding ponds to facilitate gravitational sediment removal from stormwater runoff. Various sediment traps are also included. Flood routing is developed so students understand and can design for flood peak attenuation. Low Impact Development (LID) practices such as green roofs, bioretention areas and vegetated filter strips are presented as infiltration-based alternatives to traditional stormwater management. Open channel design procedures including maximum permissible velocity and tractive force are reviewed. The course includes two design projects. Students are assigned a land parcel and the proposed development. Students are expected to develop an Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan and a Post-Construction Stormwater Management Plan. Both projects are expected to be developed in compliance with state regulatory standards and to include LID practices as appropriate. In addition to the design projects, students may be evaluated on lab reports, in-class activities, and a mid-term exam.

Before you enroll

Prerequisites

You need:

Where it fits

Where it sits in degree plans

Suggested plans most often put it in Year 4 · Fall (1 program).

One of the options in (3)

  • Biological Engineering, Minor
  • Environmental Engineering, Minor
  • Watersheds and Water Resources, Minor