Roadside Plastic Barrier Errosion Control?????
- Thread starter RonR
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This is the matching hole across the street.
My driveway is just down to the left.
There is another construction site a few hundred feet up the road I wanted to get, because the building is nearly complete, and the silt fences are in complete disarray, falling down, and with dirt over them. But, the rain started falling a little harder, and made my bladder active, so I quit.
My driveway is just down to the left.
There is another construction site a few hundred feet up the road I wanted to get, because the building is nearly complete, and the silt fences are in complete disarray, falling down, and with dirt over them. But, the rain started falling a little harder, and made my bladder active, so I quit.
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Interestingly, it had been raining -- very hard -- for about 4 hours before I took these pictures, and there was not one ounce of silt or washout. These things may have value where there are slopes, but here, where it''s flat, they appear to just be a waste of the developer's money. We have had over 41,000 homes and commercial buildings constructed within the city in the last 30 years before these regulations came into effect, and I can't remember ever seeing any silt or clogging in the swales that wasn't caused by machinery driving through them.
jinman
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I always referred to these fences as <font color="red"> dust </font> fences. I thought they were designed to stop most (80%?) of the blowing dirt/dust that is concentrated about 18" from the ground. I haven't seen any of them that are very effective for stopping flowing water-borne silt of any kind.
To be effective at controlling the water-borne silt, the fence has to cause the flow to slow down or stop. If the water ponds up behind the fence, the slit will settle out and not be carried along with the water.
Normally, there needs to be an over-flow in case the water flow is unusually high, and a slower seeping or leakage action to drain it down after it stops raining.
Normally, there needs to be an over-flow in case the water flow is unusually high, and a slower seeping or leakage action to drain it down after it stops raining.
Currmudgeon
Gold Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It is part of the building code in most municipalities. I think it might be in the model codes they all adopt. )</font>
Erosion control is also part of of the Federal water pollution control measures required in every state. Until last year, sites that disturb more than 5 acres needed an Erosion Control Plan. Now it's one acre. Many municipalities require it on all sites.
I like the stuff because it does a good job of defining the limits of disturbance, keeping the Contractor from extending his devastation into inappropriate ares. That's why you sometimes see it running along the uphill side of the site, where it does no good.
It doesn't work too badly, provided you maintain it, fix the holes, and don't let stuff back up behind the fence too high. The Contractor really needs to walk the fence every few days and after every rainstorm.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( They do work. Down by the lake after a big storm, the silt fence was over-flowing. It was about 18" to 24" high. The stakes barely held the water. )</font>
That's a bad applicatioon for one. They tend to wash out when they back up that much, and you get stuck with a whopping fine. For areas where water is expected to pass, I'd rather put in a gravel check dam, to filter the water. That will stand a lot more load before it fails.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Later when the water drained down, I discovered that there was about 18" of silt that had collected behind the whole area of the fence. It took half a day of digging with my little 4100 to "empty" the silt fence just in time for it to start raining again.)</font>
Our standard spec calls for the silt to be removed, like you did, when it's half way up the fence. That can be a helluva lot of dirt.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The contractors who knew about silt fences because they have to deal with putting them up and maintaining them themselves were careful not to destroy the fences. Those who didn't know or care, seemed to delight in running over it with trucks, cranes, and Bobcats. )</font>
That just indicates a sloppy super. Once the silt cops write him up and he has to explain to his boss that his construction budget is now $40K slimmer, he usually gets religion.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Could be a nice business opportunity for somebody with a CUT and one of those attachments going around on bigger construction sites. )</font>
In the process, be able to take care of the other erosion control features, like catch basin dirt bags, gravel checks, and the rest. There may be money in it if you can market it. But you'll need to figure out how to manage the liability. One release and you could be liable for a lot of dirt.
Erosion control is also part of of the Federal water pollution control measures required in every state. Until last year, sites that disturb more than 5 acres needed an Erosion Control Plan. Now it's one acre. Many municipalities require it on all sites.
I like the stuff because it does a good job of defining the limits of disturbance, keeping the Contractor from extending his devastation into inappropriate ares. That's why you sometimes see it running along the uphill side of the site, where it does no good.
It doesn't work too badly, provided you maintain it, fix the holes, and don't let stuff back up behind the fence too high. The Contractor really needs to walk the fence every few days and after every rainstorm.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( They do work. Down by the lake after a big storm, the silt fence was over-flowing. It was about 18" to 24" high. The stakes barely held the water. )</font>
That's a bad applicatioon for one. They tend to wash out when they back up that much, and you get stuck with a whopping fine. For areas where water is expected to pass, I'd rather put in a gravel check dam, to filter the water. That will stand a lot more load before it fails.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Later when the water drained down, I discovered that there was about 18" of silt that had collected behind the whole area of the fence. It took half a day of digging with my little 4100 to "empty" the silt fence just in time for it to start raining again.)</font>
Our standard spec calls for the silt to be removed, like you did, when it's half way up the fence. That can be a helluva lot of dirt.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The contractors who knew about silt fences because they have to deal with putting them up and maintaining them themselves were careful not to destroy the fences. Those who didn't know or care, seemed to delight in running over it with trucks, cranes, and Bobcats. )</font>
That just indicates a sloppy super. Once the silt cops write him up and he has to explain to his boss that his construction budget is now $40K slimmer, he usually gets religion.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Could be a nice business opportunity for somebody with a CUT and one of those attachments going around on bigger construction sites. )</font>
In the process, be able to take care of the other erosion control features, like catch basin dirt bags, gravel checks, and the rest. There may be money in it if you can market it. But you'll need to figure out how to manage the liability. One release and you could be liable for a lot of dirt.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
"I haven't seen any of them that are very effective for stopping flowing water-borne silt of any kind. "
I catch so much silt with my silt fences that I must clean them out after every big rain.
My soil is red clay. It packs hard as a rock, but after working it a little, it will take some time to pack down again. During this time when it rains, I can end up with 4 to six inches of silt build up along my fences.
I catch so much silt with my silt fences that I must clean them out after every big rain.
My soil is red clay. It packs hard as a rock, but after working it a little, it will take some time to pack down again. During this time when it rains, I can end up with 4 to six inches of silt build up along my fences.
I sure appreciate the inputs posted here. I've just started a part time business and plan to do rototilling and some FEL work. I won't be doing new construction sites, etc, but am now worried enough that I plan to do some reading about silt fences and maybe talk with our city engineer to see what I need to do/not do.
THANKS.
Ron
THANKS.
Ron
Currmudgeon
Gold Member
Your State EPA may have a manual on Erosion Control. Hopefully, it's even available on-line. In Illinois, it's the Illinois Urban Manual. These include a number of techniques, called Best Management Practices (BMPs) (e.g silt fence) that can be used to limit erosion.
A roll of silt fence and a roll of that orange mesh construction fence may be cheap insurance to carry in the back of your truck.
A roll of silt fence and a roll of that orange mesh construction fence may be cheap insurance to carry in the back of your truck.
Thanks. I have looked a little online and found some information about them. I'm sure they aren't that expensive. But you'd need to know the why's and wherefore's to installing them.
The problem I'd have is WHERE to put them, or if I needed to. I'd look pretty silly setting one up just to rototill a garden, for example!
Thanks.
Ron
The problem I'd have is WHERE to put them, or if I needed to. I'd look pretty silly setting one up just to rototill a garden, for example!
Thanks.
Ron
