This short course (with optional one day site visit) covers the causes, processes and costs of soil erosion on natural and engineered slopes. This understanding helps to design cost-effective erosion and sediment control measures using vegetation and engineering structures.

Soil erosion is a major cause of soil degradation, leading to loss of vegetation, nutrients and growing media on-site, as well as damage to watercourses through sedimentation and siltation off-site. The annual cost of soil erosion in England and Wales alone has been estimated at £165 million.

Understanding the causes and processes of soil erosion helps to devise cost effective control measures that reduce erosion and sedimentation from vulnerable sites. The course will present and evaluate different approaches including safe slope design, and the use of vegetation and geotextiles.

At a glance

  • DurationTwo Days
  • LocationCranfield campus
  • Cost£550
    Fee includes all course material, refreshments, lunch, evening meal and site visit.
    Accommodation is not included, and must be booked separately.
    Concessions available

Course structure

The course will be delivered as a series of interactive sessions, with an optional site visit. As well as covering the principles of soil erosion and its control, the material will be applied to a real case study. There will be an opportunity to visit Cranfield’s unique soil erosion laboratory.

What you will learn

On successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

  • Understand the role of soil erosion and its control 
  • Understand the drivers and processes of erosion of slope forming materials.
  • Recognise the onsite and offsite impacts of erosion and sediment production.
  • Undertake erosion risk assessment using a range of techniques, including the use of erosion prediction models.
  • Understand the principles of soil erosion control and soil conservation.
  • Select, design and evaluate appropriate techniques for the protection of soil and other slope forming materials, using vegetation, inert materials and/or engineering structures (case study exercise).

Core content

  • Erosion processes: drivers, mechanics and processes.
  • Consequences of erosion – on-site and off-site – the need for erosion control.
  • Erosion risk assessment techniques, including erosion prediction models. 
  • Principles of erosion control.
  • Use of vegetation and simulated vegetation in erosion control (bioengineering).
  • Use of engineering structures for erosion control (including biotechnical engineering).
  • Selection, design and evaluation of appropriate erosion control techniques using vegetation, inert materials and/or engineering structures.

Timetable

Day 1

Registration

9.30     Welcome and introduction from workshop presenters; intended outcomes of the workshop

9.45 – 10.30    Erosion processes: drivers, mechanics and processes

10.30 – 10.45  Introduction to case study used in practical application

10.45 – 11.00  Consequences of erosion – on-site and off-site – the need for erosion control

11.00   Morning Break

11.15 – 12.30  Erosion risk assessment techniques, including erosion prediction models

12.30 – 13.00  Applying erosion prediction models to the case study

13.00 – 14.00  Lunch

14.00 – 14.30  Principles of erosion control

14.30 – 15.30  Use of vegetation and simulated vegetation in erosion control (bioengineering)

15.30 – 15.45  Afternoon break

15.45 – 16.30  Use of engineering structures for erosion control (including biotechnical engineering)

16.30 – 17.15  Selection, design and evaluation of appropriate erosion control techniques using vegetation, inert materials and/or engineering structures (case study exercise)

17.15 – 17.30  Workshop wash up

17:30 -  Visit the Soil Erosion Experimentation facilities

Day 2

Field site visit

Who should attend

This course will be of particular interest to Civil Engineers, Landscape Architects, Environmental Managers, Land Managers and those working in related industry roles.

Partnerships

This course is delivered in partnership with The International Erosion Control Association

IECA logo

Sponsored by

European Society for Soil Conservation logo

Concessions

10% discount on registration fees for members of the IECA.

10% discount for third and subsequent delegates from the same company/site.

Discounts cannot be combined.

Accommodation options and prices

This is a non-residential course. If you would like to book accommodation on campus, please contact Mitchell Hall or Cranfield Management Development Centre directly. Further information regarding our accommodation on campus can be found here.

Alternatively you may wish to make your own arrangements at a nearby hotel.

Location and travel

Cranfield University is situated in Bedfordshire close to the border with Buckinghamshire. The University is located almost midway between the towns of Bedford and Milton Keynes and is conveniently situated between junctions 13 and 14 of the M1.

London Luton, Stansted and Heathrow airports are 30, 90 and 90 minutes respectively by car, offering superb connections to and from just about anywhere in the world. 

For further location and travel details

Location address

Cranfield University
College Road
Cranfield
Bedford
MK43 0AL

Read our Professional development (CPD) booking conditions.