About the research

Controlling erosion and sediment transport on construction sites has been deemed a top priority for environmental agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Optimizing erosion and sediment control practices on construction sites has been the focus of this research study for the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). The use of ditch checks has been widely used on ALDOT construction sites and a need arose for determining the optimal practice and installation procedures for each ditch check. Ditch checks are obstructions placed in paths of channelized flows that impound water. These water impoundments create subcritical, low velocity pools that reduce channel shear stress and channel erosion. As these pools increase, hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces placed upon these structures also increase. Therefore, ditch check practices must be able to withstand these forces without loss of structural integrity in order to maximize performance.