Heavy duty coir coconut mesh blanket left in the sun for five years. It is still functioning as soil cover but has no strength left and is easy to pull apart.
June 22, 2020
January 16, 2020
Straw Blanket Netting
I saw this straw blanket netting while hiking at Twanoh State Park. The access road had some erosion issues and straw blankets were installed to cover roadside cut slopes. This work was accomplished about 4 or 5 years ago. Notice that the straw is gone but the plastic netting remains. 100% biodegradable netting is the way to go.
October 25, 2015
Erosion Control Blanket Part 2
In this video, I show the quick way of inspecting erosion control blanket, Part 2.
Inspecting Erosion Control Blanket Part 1
In this video, part 1, I show the quick way of inspecting erosion control blanket.
September 25, 2015
Blanket at Edge of Asphalt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yV_JnzbGck
Installing blanket a the edge of the asphalt shoulder was my good idea gone bad. It was meant to slow the runoff from the runway so the shoulder wouldn’t erode. When the first Boeing 747 took off, the jet blast sent the blanket flying. The FAA doesn’t like that sort of thing and we haven’t done this since.
December 18, 2020
December 17, 2020
I-66 Highway Erosion
On this I-66 highway project, the main cause of the slope erosion and rills is clean runoff from the highway. I assume there were curbs along the road edge that at some point were removed. I would restore permanent or temporary curbs to direct clean water to catch basins.
I might leave the slopes uncovered. This would depend on what phase of construction this project is in. If it is in shutdown, I would cover with plastic ( I hate using plastic because it ends up in the landfill), or some type of erosion blanket. I might even consider spraying the slope with polyacrylamide and not covering it.
I do like how the area at the base of the slope is lower than the road to the left so it acts like a sediment pond. Rather than pump to a geotextile bag, I would set up a chitosan-enhanced sand filtration (CESF) treatment system, treat and discharge clean water to the catch basin. Or, if the state environmental agency allows, I would use a gel-floc passive treatment system instead.
September 27, 2020
Erosion Control Photos
All photos may be used for teaching and training purposes with attribution to: David Jenkins, sheetflow.com
Photos may not be used for commercial purposes without prior express permission from David Jenkins, sheetflow.com
June 11, 2020
Phasing a Stockpile Project to Prevent Dirty Runoff From Draining to Wetlands
Phasing a Stockpile Project
Phase 1-
(A) Install silt fences on perimeter and at base of future stockpile.
(B) Clear, grub, grade, construct drainage ditches and temporary stormwater pond including outlet structure and perforated pipe level spreader drains. Grade to drain water away from outer perimeter silt fence and toward ditch.
(C) Hydroseed and install blankets in ditch line.
(D) NOTE: Background stockpile, built later, used an early generation construction stormwater treatment system and discharged to creek instead of level spreaders into vegetation.
Phase 2-
(A) Place and compact fill material to approximately 20 feet of vertical elevation.
(B) Trackwalk and hydroseed slope.
Phase 3-
(A) Same as Phase 2.
(B) Same as Phase 2.
Phase 4-
(A) Place and compact fill material to approximately 20 feet of vertical elevation. Start base of slope 15 feet in from lower fill and grade to drain away from lower slope and to the stormwater pond.
(B) Trackwalk and hydroseed slope.
(C) No hydroseed on top of the pile as material is continually brought in as available.
December 25, 2019
Merry Christmas 2019
Merry Christmas 2019! What do I do when I am on vacation? Take videos of erosion control, of course!
Erosion control blanket was installed on this slope in southern Utah about 6 years ago. The biodegradable material has degraded. The photodegradable netting is still intact, seemingly just as strong as new. The slope is south-facing, the area gets over 300 days a year of sun; what’s the deal? How long will this stuff last in the environment? I only specify 100% biodegradable erosion control blankets; this is one reason why.