Coal Storage Basins Protected from Slope Erosion

Milliken Infrastructure Solutions

The A.B. Brown Generating Station in Evansville, Ind. is a four-unit, 700-MW coal-burning electric generating facility located on the North Bank of the Ohio River. The plant has large coal storage basins that are experiencing varying levels of erosion on the basin slopes. The plant has tried several methods to protect these steep eroding basin slopes, including riprap and vegetated linings, without success.

Vectren Corp., the plant owner, was made aware of Concrete Cloth during a presentation at the Three I Design firm in Evansville during summer 2016. Vectren approached the local Concrete Cloth distributor, D2 Land and Water, to investigate a Concrete Cloth lining solution.

Solution

Vectren was looking for a more permanent and maintenance-free solution to protect the coal basin slopes. CC8 fabric anchored with earth percussion anchors was selected to protect the 1:1 and 1.5:1 slopes. Blankenberger Brothers installed approximately 25,000 sq ft of CC8 fabric during November 2016. The CC8 fabric was secured into an anchor trench using percussion anchors and then buried at the top of the slope. Percussion anchors were also used along the slope to secure the fabric to the slope.

The Concrete Cloth application covered approximately 25,000 sq ft of slope.

Results

The Vectren coal storage basin slopes are protected from future erosion with a long term CC8 Concrete Cloth lining. Vectren is pleased with the results and will consider using Concrete Cloth at other locations at the plant where a low-maintenance slope and erosion control is needed, helping reduce its overall maintenance costs as compared to traditional solutions.