Bio Draw 3.0 is an interactive cd which describes design and installation procedures for 38 biotechnical soil stabilization techniques, along with 39 typical drawings of soil bioengineering techniques.       

 (click here for Sample Typicals)            

CAD & Microstation compatable, all Illustrations and typical drawings are available in dwg. (Auto-Cad) and .dgn format                                                                

 Incorporate Live Vegetation… 

 All erosion control techniques presented incorporate live vegetation.  Bio Draw is intended to help solve engineering problems while meeting the ever-increasing environmental demands prescribed by sensitive ecosystems.  NPDES Phase II compliant!

 ‘Soft’ BioEngineering…

Bio Draw describes in detail a series of “soft” bioengineering techniques and practices such as LIVE FASCINES, LIVE POLE DRAINS, COIR ROLLS WITH BRUSHLAYERING, POLE PLANTING, MODIFIED BRUSH LAYERS, BRUSH MATTRESSES, and MORE!   (click here for Sample Typicals)

Before & After Illustrations…

The Bio Draw CD is liberally illustrated with “before” and “after” photos of real case studies which describe various installation steps for each technique.  Clicking on the photos will expand them so details can be readily observed. 

Proven & Tested Practices…              

All of these practices have been implemented and monitored for their effectiveness by bioengineering practicioners! 

 Bio Draw 3.0 is the most credible and comprehensive bioengineering compendium in the erosion control industry today!

Available for purchase at the WatchYourDirt Shop

Drawings & So Much More…

Not only do you get CAD drawings and construction specifications, but you also get comprehensive information for all aspects of biotechnical projects, such as the principles, rationale, and planning for a bioengineered approach.  

The BMPs are conveniently separated into “Soil Bioengineering and Biotechnical Stabilization Practices (Ground Bioengineering)” and “Biotechnical Streambank Stabilization (Water Bioengineering)”.  

Many informative photos accompany each BMP, showing installation procedures along with “before” and “after” shots of case studies.  Each colorful photo can be portrayed in a larger view with the click of your mouse.   (click here for Sample Typicals)

Easy to Use..

The CD is user-friendly, and it’s as easy as navigating through this website.  Technical support is also readily available if needed.

Available for purchase at the WatchYourDirt Shop

COPYRIGHT © 2010, BLINKWORKS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

We will be periodically posting and sending out “Tips” to help you select and apply BMPs in the most effective manner. These tips are based on my experience – Iv’e actually built them, monitored the applications, and then given a lot of thought on how to make them better. This is my opinion only.

This BMP Toolbox is a concept I use for teaching

Been waiting 25 years for runoff to flow “through” a straw bale!! If you want effective sediment control then think – “Stokes Law”.Even the best geotextiles will “blind” and plug up, then you end up ponding water or they fail. Ask yourself, does a silt fence actually “filter” sediment-laden runoff?

We tackled the fill slope portion of the trail yesterday. Kind of complex because we had to wrap and reinforce. Innovative stuff but only alternative given the constraints and “sapping/subsurface” conditions. All in all, a pretty good day for 6 people.

Here are some pics!

 We are pleased to announce one of our newest creations!

The BioEngineering Set includes to jam packed DVDs geared towards well – BioEngineering!

Please feel free to contact us at watchyourdirt@gmail.com for more information and how to reserve your today!!!

 Or visit our Online Store at watchyourdirt.bigcartel.com

– The Dirt Time Team

This was quite a project for sure!!  Remember the purpose was to increase the low-flow water surface elevation so the irrigation pumps can draw water.  

This multi-million $$$ irrigation project serves the regions rubber tree, banana, and fruit plantations and rice growing.  The facilities are co-managed by JPS (Malaysian Department Irrigation and Drainage) and MADA (Malaysian Agricultural Development Authority).

Construction  started about August 16.  At first work was a little slow while we coordinated all the heavy equipment and rock delivery.  Transportation of the bigger rock needed was problematic because it was difficult to dump and could easily damage the trucks – lost a couple of tailgates and sideboards!!

We also had to disassemble the existing gabion baskets.  The Gabion Check Dam was built a couple of years prior.  It was indented to raise the low water surface elevation about 6-9 ft (2-3m) but the “mighty” Pedu River did “an end run” and eroded about 20m of the right descending banK.  We took down 2 layers of baskets (about 2 m), left one layer in place (which became our low-water bridge to the other side) and built an Engineered Newbury Riffle.  

The riffle crest was about 30 m upstream of the old gabion crest and about 60 m downstream of the pumps.  The crest was approximately 2.5m high and the riffle is 40m long.  The design criteria for Newbury Rock Riffles (NCHRP Report 544) is 10 to 20:1  (riffle length:crest height).  We used over 3000m2 (or approx. 5600 T) of stone!!

It was not feasible nor practicable to deliver or use 5000T of really large stone, that is probably why Gabions were the first choice.  What we did was used a mixture of well-graded, poorly-sorted angular granitic stone.  The rock graded from 36” (mean diameter) to 2”.  D50 was probably in the range of 12-16”.  

Construction:  The most critical component and difficult construction is the required manner of laying the rock.  It takes quite a while to understand how to compress, buttress and build the structure – one does not simply place large rock on bottom, followed next larger etc.  I try to visualize “making” as many “contact points between adjacent rocks” as possible.  Really large rocks might have 3 or 4 contact points while a well-graded, self-launching stone has infinitely more.  

Also the riffle must be built in a way to minimize turbulent flow while having as much surface roughness as possible.  

We also build one Bendway Weir about 20m upstream of the Newbury Riffle.  Because the Pump House and structures are on a gentle bend in the river (the pump on inner bend) I determined a redirective structure would ensure the high flows went over the crest and not around the structure.  Additionally we laid a tie-back/keyway almost 300 ft into the Right descending bank!!

 The last two weeks of work was challenging because the communication and construction oversight had to be done long-distance.  The construction crew, with oversight from Osman and Wing, have became experts!!  Now we shall all wait and see and monitor how the structures.

You can now see the structure and reach in its entirety.  

Thanks for reading

– John McCullah, Dirt Time TV Host

Bioengineering Case Studies – by Wendi Goldsmith, Donald Gray, and our very own John McCullah, presents a range of well-documented case studies on key techniques and best practices for bio-stabilization projects. This publication also emphasizes evaluation and comparison of different techniques and challenges across a wide range of project types and geographies!

Here is an excerpt from Bioengineering Case Studies with a quick look inside the book!

This is another great Chapter from recently published Bioengineering Case Studies: Sustainable Stream Bank and Slope Stabilization. For more information on the compilation, including details on the authors AND how to order please see to: Springer.com/bioengineeringcasestudies.

We now offer this brillant book in an ebook format!

He sent us a message as well:

“See the two excavators working on other side of bank?
They are preparing the tieback for Bendway Weir.

There is a wide bend with Pump House on inner bend, which at 5000 cfs, directs flows to outer bend.  This is what blew out the Gabions by causing an “end run”.  So the Bendway will redirect the thalweg back into center of the new Newbury Riffle.

We showed the construction folks new and cost effective construction techniques also.  We finally managed to get a loader on the job which really speeded up production.  Excavators are much more productive if they can sit and have rock delivered.

It rained cats and doggies the last day I was there.  The river got about 3 ft higher in few hours.  Quite a challenge to cross since rock is on left bank and Bendway is on right bank!!

The Job is about 1/2 done, we placed almost 3000 T of the 6000 T needed.

Great to be heading home after two weeks in Northern Malaysia – taming the Pedu River! Made a lot of new friends, many challenges, so hot and humid sometimes I thought I would burst and then 6″ of rain in an hour. Lots of typical “construction challenges ” too!

Brought new technology and new techniques – all well received. They threw a going away party for me yesterday, I felt the love!”