Guide for sediment control logs will generate cost savings and environmental benefits

sediment control log
This sediment control log was correctly installed on a wood fiber blanket.

With the development of two new decision tools guiding the selection of sediment control logs, U of M researchers have helped address a widespread erosion control challenge.

Whenever the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) or its contractors substantially disturb the soil at a project site, they are required to use practices that reduce sediment discharge when it rains. Sediment control logs—linear rolls filled with material such as straw, coconut fiber, compost, or rocks—are a commonly used method. However, these devices often fail because their performance is not well-defined or understood, and they are frequently installed incorrectly or at inappropriate locations.

“Sediment control log failure is a worldwide problem,” says Bruce Wilson, a professor with the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. “Our new research takes a substantial step toward a better understanding of the parameters within which sediment control logs can be effective, clarifying with data their capabilities as well as their limitations.”

For transportation agencies like MnDOT, sediment control logs represent a significant cost. To help control costs, MnDOT teamed up with U of M researchers to learn actual performance parameters as well as optimum locations and installation methods. Their goal was to improve practitioners’ ability to select the appropriate sediment control log for a specific purpose and location.

Researchers began with a literature review of studies that looked at a variety of sediment control methods. Next, they used a large hydraulic flume at the U of M’s Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Laboratory to examine the hydraulic characteristics of 12 sediment control logs filled with a diverse range of materials. Then, they investigated the sediment removal effectiveness and longevity of five representative logs using a smaller flume constructed specifically for this project. 

In addition, researchers examined field installations of sediment control logs at different locations to learn how the devices were installed and, if they were failing, how they had failed.

The final products were two sediment control log selection tools and training materials for sediment control log use. The two tools—one for ditch checks and one for perimeter control—will guide practitioners to select the correct sediment control log using watershed area, basin, and ditch slope. Researchers also adapted the results of the investigations into a set of training materials for erosion control and stormwater management. 

The guidance developed through this study is currently making a difference at MnDOT, where the training materials have already been implemented in erosion control and stormwater management certification workshops.

“This new knowledge will allow us to reduce costs in all areas of sediment control and more effectively protect the environment,” says Dwayne Stenlund, an erosion control specialist in MnDOT’s Office of Erosion Control and Stormwater Management.

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Michael McCarthy
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