Abstract
Erosion and sediment controls on construction sites minimize environmental impacts from sediment-laden stormwater runoff. Silt fence, a widely specified perimeter control practice on construction projects used to retain sediment on-site, has limited performance-based testing data. Silt fence failures and resultant sediment losses are often the result of structural failure. To better understand silt fence performance, researchers at the Auburn University-Erosion and Sediment Control Testing Facility (AU-ESCTF) have evaluated three silt fence options to determine possible shortcomings using standardized full-scale testing methods. These methods subject silt fence practices to simulated, in-field conditions typically experienced on-site without the variability of field testing or the limited application of small-scale testing. Three different silt fence practices were tested to evaluate performance, which included: (1) Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) Trenched Silt Fence, (2) ALDOT Sliced Silt Fence, and (3) Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee (AL-SWCC) Trenched Silt Fence. This study indicates that the structural performance of a silt fence perimeter control is the most important performance factor in retaining sediment. The sediment retention performance of these silt fence practices was 82.7%, 66.9% and 90.5%, respectively. When exposed to large impoundment conditions, both ALDOT Trench and Sliced Silt Fence practices failed structurally, while the AL-SWCC Trenched Silt Fence did not experience structural failure.
Highlights
Impairments caused by off-site discharges of sediment-laden stormwater from construction sites is one of the most critical environmental problems faced by nearby waterbodies due to increases in turbidity and sedimentation [1]
This study focuses on the evaluation of three silt fence practices using the full-scale test apparatus at the AU-ESCTF
The following is a summary of test results for the three evaluated silt fence practices based on the testing methodology described above
Summary
Impairments caused by off-site discharges of sediment-laden stormwater from construction sites is one of the most critical environmental problems faced by nearby waterbodies due to increases in turbidity and sedimentation [1]. The United States (US) Federal Government recognized the detrimental effects caused by stormwater runoff in general, and sediment discharge from construction sites. The US Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972 and the Water Quality Act of 1987 in response to these concerns resulting in significant change regarding environmental management methods used in the construction industry [3,4]. Erosion and sediment control (ESC) practices (i.e., diversion swales, erosion control blankets, sediment basins, perimeter controls, etc.) are routinely specified by designers to minimize stormwater runoff-related pollution. Construction site boundaries are typically enveloped by perimeter control
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