Methodology and Development of a Large-Scale Sediment Basin for Performance Testing
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 10
Abstract
Stormwater regulations require construction-generated pollution to be controlled on-site prior to discharge to avoid impairment of receiving waterbodies. Sediment basins are stormwater detention practices commonly used to capture and treat sediment-laden runoff prior to discharging from a construction site. Federal and state highway and environmental protection agencies have developed standardized guidance on the design of sediment basins, however further research is necessary to understand basin performance under various design conditions using large-scale testing techniques. This study details the design and construction of a (2,790 ), large-scale sediment basin at the Auburn University Erosion and Sediment Control Testing Facility (AU-ESCTF). A testing methodology and phased experimental regime were developed to allow for future testing of various sediment basin design configurations and high-rate lamella plate settler technology within the basin. Data collection efforts including water quality, flow rates, basin stage levels, sediment deposition volumes, and sediment sampling for particle characterization will be used to evaluate the performance of various basin design configurations. Preliminary results from basin testing for the effectiveness of an excavated sump are presented to demonstrate the developed test method. Water-quality parameters revealed improvements ranging between 150 and 200 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (14.0–18.6%) when an excavated sump was included in the forebay of the system. Sediment collection showed that the improved system allowed for an additional 4.3% of sediment deposition by mass. This research effort and future testing results will allow practitioners to better understand the performance of current sediment basin designs and for providing operational improvements.
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Acknowledgments
This paper is based on a study sponsored by ALDOT and the Auburn University Highway Research Center. The authors gratefully acknowledge this financial support. 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
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 10 • October 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 19, 2015
Accepted: Feb 22, 2016
Published online: Jun 3, 2016
Published in print: Oct 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Nov 3, 2016
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