Abstract
Roads and developed land can alter hydrologic pathways, cause erosion, and increase pollution to nearby waters. Best management practices (BMPs) are commonly used to reduce adverse effects of post-construction runoff. This study is focused on providing performance and cost information for optimally selecting the BMPs for retaining post-construction stormwater on site. The performance of BMPs was simulated numerically using an idealized catchment in an urban setting environment. The cost of construction and maintenance of these BMPs were based on unit price. The considered BMPs were bioswale, infiltration trench, and vegetated filter strip. The effects of vegetated covers such as turf or prairie grass on stormwater runoff reduction of linear projects with and without BMPs were also evaluated. Finally, based on construction cost, maintenance costs, and performance of BMPs, recommendations are made to help decision makers in implementing the optimal BMP to control stormwater runoff for highways in urban areas.
Highlights
Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are facing increasing requirements to reduce the volume of highway stormwater runoff to limit the discharges into nearby surface waters via overland flow or through conveyance systems
Results demonstrated that the infiltration rate in soils with prairie vegetative cover to soils with turf was about 2.1 and the infiltration rate in soils that had turf cover to the ones covered with no vegetation was 1.3. Based on these rates and considering the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) curve numbers (CNs), a series of simulations were conducted to calibrate the imperviousness for various soil types and vegetative covers
This study investigated Best management practices (BMPs) and vegetative cover performance in reducing stormwater runoff from highways in an urban environment
Summary
Departments of Transportation (DOTs) are facing increasing requirements to reduce the volume of highway stormwater runoff to limit the discharges into nearby surface waters via overland flow or through conveyance systems. Agency (USEPA) defines BMPs as an engineered and constructed system that is designed to provide water quantity and quality control of stormwater [2] Characteristics such as soil types and geologic conditions, and adjacent land uses, highway type, amount of open space in medians and shoulders, shoulder width and usage, highway landscaping and vegetation, and maintenance access all affect runoff volume reduction [3]. ManyOther numerical studies of BMP performances were conducted [10,11,12,13,14,15] For these practical limitations include: (1) many details of these measured sites are not known; (2). (2)and to identify the contribution decision-making process and in contingency plans
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