12 April 2017
 Categories: Environmental, Blog

Soil erosion is a characteristic feature of almost every construction site. The amount of earth moving works, machinery, and even people on these sites contributes to massive amounts of loose earth waiting to be transported to other regions. Considering the multiple construction sites dotting every other city, town, or even a small suburb daily, erosion from these areas can quickly become detrimental to the immediate environment, and the sites themselves if not checked. This is why several jurisdictions enforce laws and rules regarding erosion and sediment control for construction sites.

Permits and planning

The first step for every person undertaking a construction project is to seek the relevant permits and licenses. You should confirm with the environmental local authority near your construction site about all the necessary permits that will be needed. Fortunately, with professional erosion and sediment control experts, all this information can be easily accessed and followed up on for you. The planning stage of every construction site should incorporate the erosion and sediment control specifics prior to commencement. This gives the experts a chance to foresee all possible problems that could stem from too much loss of earth from your site, and address the problems before they even become grand. Your contractors should sit with the experts and analyze all the probable erosion and sediment control techniques appropriate for your site. This is when you would know where ripraps would come in hand, where vegetative buffer zones will be established, and where a silt fence will be absolutely necessary.

Long term solutions to short term problems

One key area erosion and sediment control experts pay attention to is the long-term effect of your construction site on the surrounding environment. Erosion and sediment control should not be addressed only to impact the immediate nature and time of your construction site. Instead, the real experts focus on solutions that will provide longterm services and sustainable results. For instance, sometimes the experts will recommend methods that retain natural waterways as a method of preserving the future of the site; disturbing or eliminating natural waterways has sometimes led to more vicious erosion and sediment removal as nature tends to curve it's own ways. Other longterm solutions may involve options that guarantee minimal land disturbing such as pole suspended homes as opposed to intensive landscaping for proper slope.

Rehabilitation

Soil erosion and sediment control proceeds beyond simply barring erosion and soil runoff. Rehabilitation of the land on and adjacent to construction sites is crucial in keeping environmental impact from your site in check. Rehabilitation involves activities such as re-vegetation of cleared areas, staged exposures of areas, turfing, or even tunneling to provide future channels for moving water. With the proper team of soil erosion and sediment control on your side, the entire project is bound to function properly at present and long after the construction is complete.