Evaluation of Curb and Gutter Inlet Protection Products for Sediment Retention

015877420197-91912016White PaperPDFTech ReportFHWA-ICT-16-001ICT-16-001 UILU-ENG-2016-2001R27-102ConstructionEnvironmentMaterialsTestingCulvert inletsErosion controlGeotextilesPondingRunoffSedimentsWater quality managementDetention basinsField testsConstructionEnvironmentHighwaysI15: EnvironmentI26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thawI50: Construction and Supervision of ConstructionUnited StatesIllinoisIllinois Center for TransportationBhattarai, RabinKalita, PrasantaJha, RanjeetAzeem, AnwarUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dept. of Agricultural and Biological EngineeringIllinois. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of Materials and Physical ResearchIllinois Center for TransportationUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationUS Transportation CollectionConstruction sites are one of the largest sources of sediment and contaminants. When rainfall occurs, sediment is produced as soil particles disintegrate and erode from the bare soil area and are transported to the nearest water conveyance structure, such as an inlet. When soil is disturbed to construct buildings and highways, the rate of erosion increases. Sediment from these areas mixes with water and enters roadside gutters after rainfall or snowmelt events. This can lead to clogging of drainage systems and street flooding. It can also escalate treatment cost for wastewater treatment facilities, due to increased sediment load. Various tests were performed to analyze the effectiveness of curb and gutter inlet protection products at the Erosion Control Research and Training Center (ECRTC) of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The tests analyzed the ability of these products to prevent sediment from entering the inlets. The goal of these tests was to compare the various products and determine which would work best to prevent sediment from entering the inlets at construction sites. Several criteria were used in testing in order to make the best recommendations to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The products analyzed in testing were (1) frame and grate, (2) Dandy curb bag, (3) Dandy curb sack (orange fabric), (4) Erosion Eel, (5) GeoHay, (6) SediGuard, and (7) Inlet Pro. The duration of the test was 15 minutes with a discharge rate of 119 gallons/minute (7.5 L/s). One 5 gallon bucket of clay soil was initially poured into a 300 gallon water tank; half a bucket was later poured at 5 and 10 minutes. This mixture would spill over onto the slab, where samples would be collected before and after the product was installed. Water samples were collected every 3 minutes and were oven-dried to determine sediment concentration. Using this procedure, it was possible to determine how efficient each product was in terms of sediment retention. The SediGuard and Dandy curb sack products performed better than the other products tested. Although several products were able to filter efficiently, they often created excessive ponding. Ponding on an active roadway can potentially create safety concerns. The evaluation was based on two criteria: water should be able to infiltrate the product without creating heavy ponding and the product should retain a large fraction of the sediment.75