Monday, 29 August 2016

What To Consider Before Conducting Silt Fence Installation

By Joshua Smith


Construction activities have adverse effects on both water and soil quality. When land is excavated, the soil is left bare hence prone to erosion agents such as water and wind. Consequently, excessive siltation on water bodies such as rivers and lakes affects their water quality. Along these lines, the need for adopting monitored silt fence installation procedures therefore increases. These installation procedures ensure that sediments remain trapped within an area where construction works are ongoing.

Silt fences can only function well when installed alongside sediment basins and sediment traps. In this case, their role involves preventing soil erosion by retaining sediments. This is because in areas where construction activities are being carried out, soil is usually loose and prone to erosion agents such as water and wind.

A typical fencing device comprises of synthetic filter fabric that is stretched in a series of metal or wooden stakes. The stakes are usually fixed on the lower side of the fencing device. On the other hand, the lower edge of the synthetic fabric is immersed into the soil and backfilled. This design allows water to seep off from the fencing gadget. Other large particles such as soil sediments are trapped within the device.

After a long rainy event, it is advisable to shake the filters for tiny sediments to dislodge. This measure also permits water to pass through properly. When large sediments remain trapped inside a site where construction works are being undertaken, watersheds that lie nearby are protected. However, the pressure exerted by large sediments increases at times hence decreasing the efficiency of filters. At this point, new filters are supposed to be installed.

In some jurisdictions, the government recommends people to use reinforced fencing devices. This design utilizes fabric filter that is reinforced by a strong wire mesh. The wire mesh increases the strength and resistance of the boundary marker. Resistance on the fencing device is needed to counter the weight of water and soil particles. However, when fencing appliances are improperly installed, the filters may be clogged with sediments. This leads to increased downstream pollution as well as flooding.

Studies on silt fences have proven that they are more efficient and effective in preventing soil erosion. Other researches have shown that good maintenance procedures increase the overall durability of metal enclosures used for fencing purposes. This is the reason why after installing these enclosures on your property, it is wise to conduct routine maintenance checks. This ensures that fabric filters are not affected by clogging.

There are multiple techniques of installing these fencing items. However, the most effective one is known as the static slicing technique. This method ensures that soil is held well on both sides of an enclosure. It also allows proper soil compaction that is crucial to the performance of any boundary marker. The effectiveness of fencing items is measured in terms of their ability to hold thousands of pounds of sediment.

The price of installing sludge fences depends on the width and length of the device being installed. For instance, if you wish to install an enclosure on a large construction area, buy a fencing product that is large enough to cover the whole site. In this case, its length should suit the perimeter of a site that requires fencing.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment