Alabama Soil and Water Blog Spot

  I know there is a LOT wrong in this picture, but what a great location for a small “J” hook or “C” shaped silt fence. Most of the time a straight silt fence is just a diversion.  If a silt fence doesn’t pond runoff, it can’t allow coarse soil particles to settle from suspension.     100 TIPS!!!   I’ve been saving the following image until now.  HA! Perry L Oakes, PE Alabama’s Erosion and Sediment Control Program Manager

  So, what caused this failure next to a road culvert?  While many factors could have contributed to this, the mode of failure was “Soil Piping”  where internal water in the soil seeps out carrying soil particles with it.  Over time, this process results in a void or “soil pipe” from exit to entrance.  Prevention of this should include a graded filter outlet to stop the soil particles from being lost.   Perry L Oakes, PE Alabama’s Erosion and Sediment Control Program Manager