The better you plan your scheduling in terms of construction, the better you can control the erosive elements of wind, water, run-off, and the tracking of vehicles. The schedule for construction should be a written plan that does the following;
- Present Order of All Major Land-Disturbing Activities
- Identifies Major Construction & Soil Distribution Activities
- Proper Time Allotment for Completion of Each Activity
- Present Erosion and Sediment Control Practices for Each Activity
Implementation
This is a survey of the construction site which includes all major and minor work areas. This will identify the boundaries, including fencing, barriers, and signage that will be used. Once the area has been defined, the next steps include limiting access of vehicles to certain areas, protecting as much of the existing vegetation as possible along with any bodies of water, trees, shrubs, and other items on the property.
- Complete All Work
- Establish Vegetation Cover & Permanent Erosion Control
- Integrating Erosion & Sediment Control with Construction Activities
It’s important to minimize the time that soil is disturbed by vehicles and natural erosive elements. Plus, avoiding soils that are highly erodible alone with minimizing work during times of precipitation, most notably heavy rainfall, will help preserve the topsoil in the construction area.
Additional Practices
As part of the overall construction schedule, it needs to include the proper practices of dealing with potential erosion that the new structure may cause along with the disturbance by vehicle and foot traffic.
Conveyance Channels: This alters the course of clean run-on or run-off water from exposed areas. The result is a limitation of erosion due to running water from a storm.
Open Trenches: Here, the efforts need to be limiting the time an open trench is used. Stabilizing the soil and covering it back up upon completion is paramount to minimize erosion.
Plan for the Unexpected: A unusually strong storm or sharp rise in temperatures when snow in on the ground may cause an unexpectedly large amount of erosion unless it is anticipated. This means year-round practices, stabilization of all soils, the use of sediment trapping devices, and controlling area which handle both run-on and run-off water will make the difference.
Inspecting & Maintaining Area
Here, you will need to make timely inspections, note any changes, and implement maintenance efforts to ensure that proper erosion and sediment control is maintained. The more frequent the inspections, the more likely it is to catch a small problem early on before it becomes a big issue.
In addition, you should document all site inspections, retain a copy for use, and ensure that all implementation of erosion and sediment control efforts are keeping up with the schedule set before construction began.
It is true that you may have to make some changes depending on changing conditions, but the more you stay on top of the situation through timely inspections, the better you will be able to deal with potential issues. The key to proper erosion and sediment control is creating an effective plan and ensuring it is implemented in a timely fashion.
Tag: erosion control, Sediment Control, BMP’s, construction scheduling
