Barriers, flocculants, inlet protection, and trackout devices keep dirt onsite.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a development, a landscape project designed to beautify a site, or a remediation project in hilly terrain—one of the greater challenges on any site is sediment control. Wherever there is soil, especially disturbed soil, there is sediment—unless you do something to handle the problem. Fortunately, there are product developers and users who have some answers that may help you win the battle of controlling sediment. Another plus is model improvements, new lines from longtime manufacturers, and companies new to the market that have found ways to help you control sediment.
Walking on the Dry Side
Whether it’s preconstruction or post-construction, Filtrexx International LLC in Grafton, OH, has 20 different products to meet different challenges, such as SiltSoxx, typically used for perimeter control on project sites. A compost filtration matrix traps silt inside the three-dimensional tubes. “Sediment stops sediment,” says Rod Tyler, chief executive officer and founder.
Ponding is also part of the answer to sediment control on many sites. “Ponding is used with many sediment control devices to allow enough capacity for a given job,” says Tyler. “Ponding allows sediment to settle over time. We’ve found that when you combine ponding and Filtrexx products you get better flow and performance rates than with other standard products.” Because the product uses recycled material from composted products, it helps processors rid themselves of woody wastes, yard trimmings, and the like, which can even lower the cost of sediment control.
The product is very flexible although it weighs 40 pounds per foot. “When installing you can use a loaded blower truck or put down the prepared fence by hauling in 10 to 75 feeder guards, depending on the size of truck you have. Another option is to use material prepared onsite.”
Tyler notes that proper training in product use is essential for the company’s more than 100 installers. “We hold annual three-day seminars here in Ohio in October. Seminars help installers keep up on product line changes.”
One of those installers is SpreadRite Organics LLC in Birmingham, AL. Founded by Scott and Hunter Bruce about three years ago, the firm now has 12 employees in the field with another nine handling the rest of the details from sales to product development. Says Vice President Hunter Bruce, “Filtrexx makes up 30% of our erosion control product use. We do a whole gamut of erosion control, with the biggest part being vegetation establishment.”
He comments that 85 inches of rain per year makes it imperative to contain silt. One of SpreadRite Organics’ own products, Mud-Dry, helps keep cars on top of the surface during major public events, including ballgames and other places where the number of vehicles overwhelm the paved parking lots.
He concludes, “We’re a woodwaste recycling company, and we produce usable resources to use in some of our erosion control products. We rely on SiltSoxx specifically for sediment control, while Mud-Dry allows contractors to work right after the rain. One advantage to Mud-Dry is that it helps ‘cover’ the soil to protect the soil from raindrop impact and keeps the site workable to stay on schedule.”
Keeping It Light
Another challenge is versatility and maneuverability. Besides construction sites, sediment control is an import element when working on hillsides. Sediment is part of the results of Mother Nature’s activities during a rain. Yet, for control, it’s desirable to have a product that can easily be put in place because it’s light enough for workers to install, even on 3H:1V and steeper slopes.
Speaking from 25 years in the soil control industry, Marc Theisen, director of business development for Profile Products LLC in Buffalo Grove, IL, comments, “Our Terra-Tubes are principally used for pre- and active construction. This line has been on the market for just two years, but we’re getting positive reactions from land developers because they’ve been looking for a proven device for controlling sediment and for improving water quality.” These fiber filtration tubes are trenched to a 2- to 3-inch depth and anchored to the ground by using wooden stakes and wire staples.
He says they come in rolls ranging from 6.5 to 32.5 feet. Diameters range from 6 to 9 inches. The tubes include a natural wood fiber and manmade fibers, with the third component being a flocculent. “They can be used in conjunction with other products. For example, they can be used to establish a ponding height to slow water flow and give sediment time to settle on the site. They may also be used in series for controlling sediment and erosion on slopes and in channels,” Theisen says. Post-construction utilization includes placing the tubes around inlets to avoid sediment intrusion and for stormwater treatment.
“They help contractors dealing with fresh concrete so only the water is discharged, and done so it is safe to recycle that water or to let it flow into storm drains,” he adds.
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Photo: SpreadRite Organics LLC |
| Mud-Dry applied on a parking lot for a sporting event |
Theisen emphasizes that the Terra-Tubes weigh less than a pound per foot when dry. They act as a sponge and can weigh up to 10 pounds per foot when wet. In addition, if sediment loads are low from a particular project, they can be reused.
A contractor recently needed to build a detention basin to avoid sediment intrusion at the site of a million-square-foot warehouse distribution center as well as multiple-use office space at the Boulder Business Park just west of Allentown, PA. The contractor had to blast through rock layers to get down to grade and then discovered groundwater that filled up the basin and included fine coal sediment.
The contractor found that pumping the water through traditional geotextile filter bags failed to capture the extremely fine sediment. John Bohman, lead resource conservationist for Lehigh County, says, “The contractor was not using adequate BMPs [best management practices] when dewatering the excavated area of the proposed stormwater basin. We informed the contractor that the dewatering operation needed to stop until adequate BMPs were implemented.” After other measures proved ineffective, Profile Products joined in the project. Flocculant crystals impregnated within the fiber matrix of the filtration tubes allowed the suspended soil particles to settle into collecting pools. Controlling coal intrusion made it possible for the warehouse distribution center to open.
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Photo: SpreadRite Organics LLC |
| SiltSoxx provide perimeter control. |
Off-Farm Use of Plows
One of the challenges for sediment control is rapid and cost-effective methods for installing the product selected to deal with the site. “The Silt Fence Plow can be used to install silt fence, which can be purchased at any store that carries geotextileproducts. It takes about 30 minutes for users to become comfortable with the machine,” explains Chris McCormick, owner of McCormick Equipment in Pleasantville, IA.
A 40-horsepower tractor is needed to pull the plow, unless a skid-steer loader is used for installation; in that case a loader with a minimum 6,000-pound weight and 60 horsepower is recommended. “One person can do it,” notes McCormick, “but a two-man crew can install 4,000 to 5,000 feet per day.” He adds that since it’s a plow, it can push rocks aside and ensure proper installation on stony ground. “You can use it anywhere you need to control the sediment onsite.”
What makes installation rapid is that the plow eliminates the need to close the soil trench after the fabric is installed. The plow opens up a 2-inch slit in the soil and threads the silt fence material into the ground. It is then recommended to drive along both sides of the silt fence to pack it into the ground. McCormick explains, “The fabric is grabbed by the ground as it comes out of the fabric chute. The unique positive feed design keeps the fabric tight at the top and bottom. This eliminates the saggy or wavy look some silt fence installations have.”
Once the fence is in place, the contractor then installs metal or wood posts 4 to 8 feet apart to a depth equal to the height of the fiber sticking out of the ground. “Always place the posts on the downhill side of the fence to support the fence,” he notes.
A Host of Products Helps Deal With Sediment
One of the oldest firms in the geosynthetic industry is ACF Environmental in Richmond, VA. “They were founded in 1982 and I joined them in 1994,” says David Kelley, national products manager. Besides 12 years with ACF, Kelley has a degree in urban development, which fits in the urban aspects of clean water and water control.
The company’s line of sediment control products includes the SiltSack; the Dirtbag geotextile bag to filter sediment from dewatering operations before it enters the storm drain system; the Triangular Silt Dike, which can be used as a lightweight alternative to a traditional check dam; straw wattles; turbidity barriers; and other products. Kelley notes that today’s products are a lot more versatile than traditional products such as rocks and hay bales. “They can break and are difficult to handle. They were popular in the past because stones were readily available in local areas. The problem is that they become clogged with sediment and are much more difficult to maintain than geosynthetic materials. If bales used to protect drains would break apart, the bundle itself would become a problem.”
The company introduced the GrateGator in 2006, a follow-on version of the GutterGator. Both are designed to protect storm drain inlets. The GrateGator has a replaceable sleeve, which users can change out as needed yet keep the inner frame and replace the filter. “It’s a low-profile solution and prevents damage when trucks run over it,” notes Kelley.
He adds that geosynthetic materials are easier to deal with, whether installing such in new projects or working with remedial needs. “We’re working on two new products this year. We strive to offer two new products or product improvements each year.”
Correcting Mistakes
In this business sometimes it seems too easy to make mistakes or misjudgments. That’s when companies such as Landsaver Environmental of Richmond, VA, can help correct the situation. “Landsaver has been working with erosion control problems since 1984,” says Corey Simonpietri. “ I joined them in 1992.” The company, a division of ACF Environmental, has 75 employees working in its three divisions: containment, pavement preservation, and erosion and sediment control.
Simonpietri describes a recent project in Virginia that included a road cut and steep slopes. The whole area needed a facelift just two months after another company had finished the original project.
“The project was originally treated with seed and straw on the slopes and erosion control blankets in the ditches on either side of the road,” he explains. “In just two months, a lot of straw on the slopes had been blown away, taking seeds or seedlings with it. The rocks were still there, but the blankets had been undermined.”
The ditches had to have their rocks and erosion control blankets removed and were then regraded. This took Landsaver’s crew about a day to complete. Then they replaced the blankets with turf reinforcement mats and more than 20 Triangular Silt Dikes from ACF Environmental. He notes they are much easier to deal with than rocks and are less expensive. Another advantage is they can be placed or removed by hand.
The slopes were hydroseeded to prevent erosion and reduce sedimentation in the ditches. ACF GutterGators were also used to prevent sediment from entering the curb inlets. “We got an inch-and-a-half storm yesterday and today, and already we can see the difference,” Simonpietri comments. “The soil is holding well on the slopes and sedimentation has decreased greatly.”
He says that once the erosion issues in the area have been handled properly, the project site will be good for years. “The right tools for the right application make a tremendous difference in success of a project involving soil disturbance, whether before, during, or after construction.”
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Photo: Trackout Control LLC |
The Grizzly shakes vehicles leaving the
construction site to remove any dirt. |
Controlling Dust Controls Sediment
Especially when it’s dry, controlling dust is an important part of controlling sediment. One device that operates on this principle comes from Trackout Control LLC in Tempe, AZ, which Jeff Lange founded in 2002. “I developed, created, and patented the Grizzly Trackout Control Device that operates on the concept of a grizzly that shakes vehicles while they’re driving over open rails to remove aggregate, dust, and dirt before entering the paved roadway.”
A 27-year veteran in environmental management, Lange notes he created the trackout control concept in late 2001/ early 2002, understanding that stopping sediment from leaving work sites was opportunity to improve the environment. The company sells four different trackout devices, two of which are commonly used by contractors and municipalities.
A large development company based in Phoenix recognized the benefits of reducing trackout from its construction sites after a series of warnings and fines from Maricopa County. “The gravel pads at their construction project gates were not stopping trackout and were not being maintained,” Lange explains. The developer installed one of Trackout Control’s devices and discovered that it required almost no maintenance. Furthermore, the governor of the State of Arizona recognized the company for being environmentally progressive. Now, the contractor has more than two dozen devices on his construction sites.
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Photo: Aer-Flo Inc. |
| A mine operation showing the effectiveness of floating turbidity barriers |
Crabs and Shrimp to the Rescue
When it comes to crab and shrimp, one usually thinks of their tastiness, but their shells can be used for controlling sediment and other problems related to water and soil. Storm-Klear, from Natural Site Solutions in Redmond, WA, incorporates chitosan, a natural biopolymer in the shells, to reducing turbidity, phosphorus, metals, and grease in stormwater. The chitosan helps sediment particles coagulate and encourages gravity settling. Storm-Klear is used with biofiltration, sand filtration, or cartridge filtration.
Related products include Gel-Floc, which is designed for use on construction sites but also can be used for post-construction sediment control and for industrial applications. Liqui-Floc is designed for more traditional treatments such as sand filtration or inclined-plate clarification.
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Photo: Trackout Control LLC |
| Ensuring no sediment leaves the site helps the environment. |
Working Around Water
Commonly used to prevent sediment contamination when construction takes place in or around water are turbidity barriers from Aer-Flo in Bradenton, FL. Floating or staked turbidity barriers are used to control waterborne sediment during both the pre-construction and the active construction. Floating turbidity barriers consist of a top flotation boom, a curtain barrier section that extends downward, and a bottom ballast section usually weighted with chain. Typical sections are 50 to 100 feet long, and depths can vary from 2 to 100 feet. Sections are joined together to form continuous barriers that can be used on large projects.
Bill Henning, Aer-Flo’s president, explains that staked turbidity barriers are somewhat similar to silt fence in their installation, but the fabric is impervious and much heavier. They are used to redirect runoff on grade and to contain sediment in shallow water depths up to 18 inches.
“Turbidity barriers are used at construction, dredging, and mining sites. Most states have DOT [Department of Transportation] or DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] specifications for barrier construction requirements, and barriers usually must be installed before the first dirt is turned,” Henning comments. “A job site may require barriers of several different depths.”
Henning describes some recent projects using his company’s barriers: “Our Tough Guy turbidity barriers have been used extensively in road and bridge construction projects in Florida, and we provided over 2 miles of our heavier-duty Type 2 barriers, in depths from 3 feet to 70 feet, to a mining operation in Canada. A dredging job in the St. Louis River in Minnesota required only 450 feet of barriers, while construction on a Michigan river required 1,200 feet of Type 2 barriers.
“Most construction companies want only high-quality barriers so they will last through the entire project or so they can be retrieved and used again,” says Henning. “As with most products, you get what you pay for.”
Lake Sediment Controlled
Sometimes controlling sediment seems impossible, especially when the site includes 220 acres of a manmade lake. But Dredging Supply Co. in Reserve, LA, has answers, in the form of portable dredges. Each model carries an aggressive fish name, but they’re really user friendly even while attacking underwater sediment problems.
For example, a private homeowners’ association in Illinois needed to keep the upper end of a lake clear of silt so recreational use would not be compromised. Sediment was being washed into the lake from nearby farmland. After just eight or 10 years, parts of the lake had become too shallow for homeowner use.
The association had been using an auger dredge to combat the problem, but cables up to 1,000 feet long interfered with members’ use of the lake. After checking the market, the association decided to purchase a Moray Swinging Ladder Dredge from Dredging Supply Co. It proved almost twice as effective as the prior dredge and did not need any cables. When the dredge was delivered, the area was in the midst of a drought and the lake surface had dropped 5 feet. The Moray can be operated in just 2.5 feet of water, so it began cutting the silt 3 to 5 feet at a chunk in the shallow part of the lake.
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Photo: Trackout Control LLC |
| Where there’s soil, there’s sediment; keep it onsite. |
The Moray also helps control sediment in the deeper portions of the lake, thanks to a 16-foot reach, and tubing it up to 2,250 feet with an elevation rise of 30 feet. Use of the dredge to control sediment on a regular basis helps keep the lake at the depths needed.
The family-owned dredge construction company has about 100 employees, with 70 on the manufacturing side and 30 others dealing with the paperwork involved in keeping a successful company afloat.
Keeping Sediment Off the Playing Field
One well-known designer in the erosion control industry is Tom Carpenter of Carpenter Erosion Control in Ankeny, IA. Particularly popular for contractors is his tommy Silt Fence Machine, designed to make silt fencing installation easier, faster, and neater without tearing up the soil.
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Photo: SpreadRite Organics LLC |
| A compost filtration matrix within SiltSoxx traps sediment. |
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Photo: Trackout Control LLC |
| The Grizzly Trackout Control Device at the edge of a site |
One user, Jobie Watson, owner of Twin Oaks Environmental LLC in Orlando, FL, decided four years ago it was time to change careers from selling tile to dealing with soil. “At the same time I began Twin Oaks Environmental, I learned about the tommy Silt Fence Machine on the Internet,” she recalls. It didn’t take her long to contact Carpenter and get one for her brand-new company.
Today, Watson has nine employees helping install fences for subdivisions, demonstration homes, and residential yards. Her company now has two machines to help keep jobs on schedule. “Customers all like the work we do because we don’t damage sprinkler lines or do a lot of damage in the yards.”
The reputation gained helped her company get the job last summer to install 8,000 feet of silt fencing for the new stadium at the University of Central Florida. The company had to install the fencing between two soccer fields and not damage the playing surfaces or the stadium supports. Even with the extra care needed on the delicate job, a four-person crew finished the job in six hours.
“My people are used to putting in 6,000 to 8,000 feet in a day,” says Watson. “We buy our fencing in 2,000-foot rolls. The 36-inch width is standard for that area. With a crew of four, one runs the machine, one drives the wooden posts with a pneumatic hammer, a third runs the pneumatic hammer, while the fourth member takes care of other details.”
The biggest challenge in the area is getting good workers. “I could double my business easily if I could find more people. Fortunately, turnover in help is minimum because we have the right tools for the work. This makes life easier when they’re installing fencing.”