Robbin B. Sotir

Areas of Expertise

Soil Bioengineering
Streambank Stabilization
Cut and Fill Slope Repair
Wetland Buffer Restoration

Education

BLA, 1974, Landscape Architecture, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada Soil Bioengineering Apprenticeship - Europe, 1976-1981

Professional Affiliation

ASTM (Chair Sect. D-18.25.10 - Soil Bioengineering)
American Society of Floodplain Managers
International Erosion Control Association
American Society of Civil Engineers
Association of Wetland Managers
American and Canadian Societies for Surface Mining and Reclamation
Gesellsch for Ingenieurbiologie
Soil Conservation Society, GA Chapter

Publications, Teaching & Research

Authored /Co-authored over 100 publications including Co-authored Biotechnical and Soil Bioengineering Slope Stabilization Published by Wiley 1996, USDA/NRCS engineering field manual Chapter 16 & 18 manuals for streambank and shoreline and slope protection and erosion reduction - which set the standards for soil bioengineering in the US. Contributor: Ministry of Ontario Transportation Open Channels document. (List of additional publications available upon request)

Instructed over 70 courses and workshops and more than 150 conferences, symposia and seminars in North America, Europe and Asia.

Serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Erosion Control Magazine; Peer reviewed the 16 agency Streambank Restoration Handbook; Serves the UNFAO as a resource person and expert panel member for The Risk Science Institute for Mitigation of Urban Runoff impacts on Atlanta Streams 1998.

Designed and managed over 200 projects up to $12M in environmental streambank, shoreline and upland slope mitigation and stabilization. Prepared, conducted and monitored soil bioengineering vegetation, streambank, slope and mining research.

Overview

Robbin B. Sotir, President of Robbin B. Sotir & Associates, Inc., is a practitioner in the field of soil bioengineering. Over the past 25 years, serving on interdisciplinary teams, she has completed over 250 projects in reservoir shoreline, cut and fill slopes, river and streambank stabilization, and wetland buffers in North and Central America, Europe and Southeast Asia. She is internationally known for her work in the evaluation and design of environmentally sensitive projects throughout the watershed and frequently lectures on subjects related to soil bioengineering, biotechnical slope stabilization, water quality, erosion and sediment control, stormwater and watershed management. She has had intensive European training in soil bioengineering. Her mentor, Dr. Hugo M. Schiechtl, is considered to be the most eminent soil bioengineer in the world. Ms. Sotir's efforts and commitment to soil bioengineering have had a major impact on the development and success of this technology in the United States and Canada for environmentally sound water and land stabilization and restoration work. She has developed soil bioengineering technology awareness and understanding as a work that is based on sound engineering practices that are integrated with ecological principles, producing sustainable comprehensive solutions that protect and restore function back into systems. She is familiar with and uses several stream classification systems, including the Rosgen System.

Working as an international soil bioengineering consultant, she applies specialized knowledge and skills regarding watershed/catchment management for cut and fill slopes, flood control, landfills, mine sites, military, recreation, transportation and transmission corridors, private, commercial, and industrial lands, greenways, water quality, fluvial systems management, including landscape restoration, erosion and sediment control. She has developed a comprehensive soil bioengineering selection design process of qualitative and quantitative analysis and critical issues assessment for design development of construction plans and specifications, master planning, feasibility studies, and implementation procedures that focus on cost effective, highly functional environmental systems with low maintenance requirements and life cycle costs.

Alton P. Simms

Areas of Expertise

Soil Bioengineering
Streambank Stabilization
Cut and Fill Slope Repair
Wetland Buffer Restoration

Education

BS, 1977, Business Administration, University of South Carolina, Soil Bioengineering Apprenticeship - Europe, 1982 - 1988

Professional Affiliation

ASTM (Vice Chair Sect. D-18.25.10 - Soil Bioengineering)
N.C. Assoc. of Floodplain Mgrs.
American River Management Society
Association of Wetland Managers
Soil Conservation Society, GA Chapter
Society of Wetland Scientist
Ducks Unlimited

Project History

Collectively involved as Project Manager in over 250 soil bioengineering projects up to $7M in streambanks, shorelines and upland slope mitigation and stabilization

Publications, Teaching & Research

Co-instructed over 30 hands-on workshops and presented numerous papers at conferences, symposia and seminars in North America.

Overview

Alton P. Simms, as Vice President and Principal of Robbin B. Sotir & Associates, Inc., has been working in the field of soil bioengineering under the direction of Robbin B. Sotir and Dr. Hugo M. Schiechtl since 1982. He has been involved in over 250 soil bioengineering projects in North America, Europe and Asia. His main work emphasis has been in the areas of on-site construction services, cost estimating, vegetation reconnaissance for soil bioengineering biotechnical stabilization methods and overall project management.

The scope of services he offers includes aerial surveys and reconnaissance; field investigation and plant identification based upon suitability for soil bioengineering work; mechanical and living plant performance in soil bioengineering revegetative systems for erosion control losses from gully formation and headcutting; preparation and presentation of pre-tender information to prospective contractors; training sessions to awarded contractors; and evaluation and reporting on cost effectiveness of various soil bioengineering methods and materials to specific site conditions.

His work experience with the firm has involved design strategizing on interdisciplinary teams for overall project planning, construction detailing and scheduling, with selection of materials, on-site construction observation and post-construction evaluation and monitoring.

Mr. Simms has served on interdisciplinary international projects in the following countries: Austria, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden and Malaysia.