Abstract
Bioinfiltration systems for stormwater management rely on the ability of the engineered media to adequately infiltrate, filtrate, and store water to reduce runoff volumes and improve water quality. However, the potential clogging of the soil over time due to the migration of fines and deposition of sediment and debris has raised concerns regarding system longevity. To quantify temporal and spatial changes in textural and hydraulic properties of bioinfiltration media infiltrating runoff from an interstate, a comprehensive field and laboratory study was completed for two sites over a two-year period. Despite observed sediment deposition within both basins, there were no statistically significant trends in the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the media over the study period. Soil core sampling and analysis confirmed fines did not migrate through the soil column. Susceptibility to future clogging of the well-graded, loamy sand used at both sites was evaluated based on the collected data and permeability and retention criteria commonly used in geotechnical design of graded filters. Based on the results of this study and the current literature, soils proposed for use in bioinfiltration systems should be evaluated for filter compatibility with the anticipated sediment load and include maximum limits on the plasticity index to help enhance system lifespan and reduce necessary maintenance.
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Data Availability Statement
All soil and infiltration data generated in the study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for their support and funding. The opinions presented in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily express the opinions of the PennDOT. Reference in this report to any commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or certification of any kind by the authors. This project is a research initiative of the Villanova Center for Resilient Water Systems.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 11 • November 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 17, 2020
Accepted: Jun 22, 2021
Published online: Sep 14, 2021
Published in print: Nov 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 14, 2022
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Engineering fundamentals
- Environmental engineering
- Geomechanics
- Geotechnical engineering
- Hydrologic engineering
- Hydrology
- Infiltration
- Laboratory tests
- River engineering
- Sediment
- Soil analysis
- Soil dynamics
- Soil mechanics
- Soil properties
- Soil water
- Stormwater management
- Tests (by type)
- Water and water resources
- Water quality
- Water treatment
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