State of the Practice: Evaluation of Sediment Basin Design, Construction, Maintenance, and Inspection Procedures
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 19, Issue 2
Abstract
To protect the nation’s surface waters from sediment-laden discharge, the proper selection, design, application, installation, and maintenance of erosion and sediment control practices on active construction sites are imperative. These practices will be required to comply with new, stricter regulations applied by the EPA to control high sediment concentrations of storm water discharge from construction sites. One mean of controlling sediment-laden discharge is through the use of sediment basins. The purpose of this paper is to report results from a survey conducted to determine the state of the practice for sediment basin design, construction, maintenance, and inspection techniques used by state highway agencies (SHAs) nationwide. The survey consisted of 68 possible questions in six categories: (1) background and experience, (2) design, (3) construction, (4) maintenance of sediment basins during construction, (5) inspection and monitoring, and (6) lessons learned. A total of 37 responses (74% response rate) out of 50 SHAs were received and analyzed. The summary of the survey, including lessons learned, allows knowledge and experience to be transferred to practitioners that may have little or no experience with using sediment basins on construction projects. The survey shows that the typical design life of a sediment basin is between 6 months and 2 years; the generally accepted minimum storage volumes among most agencies is () of disturbed area draining to the basin, and 13 agencies use flocculant additives to enhance the efficiency of sediment basins.
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Acknowledgments
This paper is based on a study sponsored by the Alabama DOT. The authors gratefully acknowledge this financial support. The authors gratefully acknowledge survey respondents from 37 SHAs that spent time and effort to provide valuable information for the study. The findings, opinions, and conclusions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the sponsor.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 19 • Issue 2 • May 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 13, 2013
Accepted: Apr 8, 2013
Published online: Feb 11, 2014
Published in print: May 1, 2014
Discussion open until: Jul 11, 2014
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