Sediment control

• US 6,848,866 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Environmental Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: John H. Mcginn
• Inventors: McGinn, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jong-Suk (James)
• Application Number:
  US10/742,076
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 405/15, 405/16, 405/19, 405/32, 405/302.4, 405/302.6, 405/302.7, 210/170, 210/747, 442/361, 442/366, 442/367, 442/327, 428/357, 428/372
• US Class Current: 405/302.6
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 11/005 Drainage conduits
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/04 Structures or apparatus for, or methods of, protecting banks, coasts, or harbours E02B1/003 takes precedence; sealing or joints E02B3/16
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/043 Artificial seaweed
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/126 mainly consisting of bituminous material or synthetic resins
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 1/00 Methods, systems, or installations for draining-off sewage or storm water
• CPC Class Codes: E03F 5/0404 with a permanent or temporary filtering device; Filtering devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/29 Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand, strand portion, rod, filament, macroscopic fiber or mass thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/60 Nonwoven fabric [i.e., nonwoven strand or fiber material]

Abstract

A sediment control roll includes a threshold member having large apertures therethrough, a hollow sediment collection chamber, and an outflow filter having small apertures therethrough. The sediment control roll can be used to collect sediment in runoff from a construction site, or to reduce removal of sediment from an existing mass of soil, sand or other sediment. The sediment control roll can for example be made by rolling up extruded polymeric netting with filter cloth attached thereto.

Claims

1. A sediment control roll which comprisesan elongate threshold member which comprises a melt-extruded polymeric netting composed of a plurality of polymeric strands which

(a) define a plurality of substantially identical apertures, each of which has an area of 0.03 to 0.16 in² and a minimum dimension of 0.015 to 0.4 in., and

(b) have a solid surface area which is from 25 to 65% of the total area of the netting;

2) an elongate outflow member which comprises a melt-extruded polymeric netting composed of a plurality of polymeric strands which

(a) define a plurality of substantially identical apertures, each of which has an area of 0.03 to 0.16 in² and a minimum dimension of 0.015 to 0.4 in., and

(b) have a solid surface area which is from 25 to 65% of the total area of the netting; and

3) an elongate outflow filter which

(i) is secured to the outflow member, and

(ii) has a mesh size of 80 to 500 micron;

the sediment control roll comprising a hollow, elongate sediment collection chamber which (i) lies between the threshold member and the outflow member and (ii) has an unobstructed volume which is at least 80% of the total volume of the sediment control roll.

2. A sediment control roll according to claim 1 wherein the outflow member is composed of two overlapping layers of the melt-extruded polymeric netting and the outflow filter (i) is sandwiched between the two overlapping layers, and (ii) has a substantially uniform thickness of less than 0.5 in.

3. A sediment control roll according to claim 2 wherein the threshold member is composed of two overlapping layers of the melt-extruded polymeric netting.

4. A sediment control roll according to claim 3 wherein the overlapping layers of the threshold member and the outflow member are different parts of a single piece of the polymeric netting.

5. A sediment control roll according to claim 4 which comprises a location member which extends from the outflow member and is another part of the single piece of the polymeric netting.

6. A sediment control roll according to claim 3 which includes a threshold filter which (i) is secured between the overlapping layers of polymeric netting of the threshold member, (ii) has a substantially uniform thickness of less than 0.5 in. and (iii) has a mesh size of 80 to 500 micron.

7. A sediment control roll according to claim 6 wherein the threshold filter extends over the whole of the threshold member.

8. A sediment control roll according to claim 6 wherein the threshold filter extends over only a lower section of the threshold member, the lower section extending from the bottom of the threshold member to an upper level which is at least 45% of the height of the roll.

9. A sediment control roll according to claim 1 wherein the outflow filter extends over the whole of the outflow member.

10. A sediment control roll according to claim 1 wherein the outflow filter extends over only a lower section of the outflow member, the lower section extending from the bottom of the outflow member to an upper level, the upper level being at least 80% of the height of the sediment control roll.

11. A sediment control roll according to claim 1 which, when subjected to a test which consists of

(i) completely immersing the roll in water for 0.5 hour,

(ii) removing the roll from the water,

(iii) placing the roll on a horizontal apertured surface, and

(iv) leaving the roll to drain for 0.5 hour in still air at 20°

C.,

has a weight after the test which is not more than 1.1 times, its weight before the test.

12. A sediment roll according to claim 1 which, when subjected to a test in which clean water is directed towards the roll at right angles to the threshold member, the roll is capable of passing at least 100 gallons of water, but not more than 400 gallons of water, per square foot per minute of the frontal area of the threshold member, and the volumes of water entering and leaving any particular length of the roll are substantially the same.

13. A sediment roll according to claim 1 which, when subjected at 70°

F. to a test in which a weight of 200 lbs. is applied uniformly to a 1 foot long section of the top of the roll for 20 seconds, and is then removed, the height of the roll, in the section underneath the weight, decreases by at least 60% before the weight is removed, and recovers to at least at least 75% of its original height within one hour of the weight being removed.

14. A sediment control assembly which comprises a plurality of sediment control rolls as defined in claim 1.

15. A sediment control assembly according to claim 14, wherein the sediment control rolls are joined together end-to-end.

16. A sediment control assembly according to claim 14 wherein the sediment control are joined together side-by-side.

17. A method of reducing sediment runoff from a construction site, the method rising placing a plurality of sediment control rolls as defined in claim 1 around the construction site.

18. A sediment control roll which comprisesan elongate threshold member which is composed of two overlapping layers of polymeric netting;

2) an elongate outflow member which is composed of two overlapping layers of polymeric netting;

3) a location member which extends from the outflow member;

the threshold member, the outflow member and the location member being different parts of a single piece of melt-extruded polymeric netting composed of a plurality of polymeric strands which

(a) define a plurality of substantially identical apertures, each of which has an area of 0.03 to 0.16 in²; and

(b) have a solid surface area which is from 25 to 65% of the total area of the netting; and

4) an elongate outflow filter which

(i) is secured between the overlapping layers of the outflow member and

(ii) has a mesh size of 80 to 500 micron;

the sediment control roll comprising a hollow, elongate sediment collection chamber which (i) lies between the threshold member and the outflow member and (ii) has an unobstructed volume which is at least 80% of the total volume of the sediment control roll.

19. A sediment control roll according to claim 18 wherein the outflow filter extends over the whole of the outflow member.

20. A sediment control roll according to claim 18 which includes a threshold filter which is secured between the overlapping layers of polymeric netting of the threshold member and which has a mesh size of 80 to 500 micron.

21. A sediment control roll according to claim 20 wherein the threshold filter extends over the whole of the threshold member.

22. A sediment control roll according to claim 20 wherein the threshold filter extends over only a lower section of the threshold member, the lower section extending from the bottom of the threshold member to an upper level which is at least 45% of the height of the roll.

23. A sediment control roll according to claim 18 wherein the outflow filter extends over only a lower section of the outflow member, the lower section extending from the bottom of the outflow member to an upper level, the upper level being at least 80% of the height of the sediment control roll.

24. A sediment control roll according to claim 18 which, when subjected to a test which consists of

(i) completely immersing the roll in water for 0.5 hour,

(ii) removing the roll from the water,

(iii) placing the roll on a horizontal apertured surface, and

(iv) leaving the roll to drain for 0.5 hour in still air at 20°

C.,

has a weight after the test which is not more than 1.1 times, its weight before the test.

25. A sediment roll according to claim 18 which, when subjected to a test in which clean water is directed towards the roll at right angles to the threshold member, the roll is capable of passing at least 100 gallons of water, but not more than 400 gallons of water, per square foot per minute of the frontal area of the threshold member, and the volumes of water entering and leaving any particular length of the roll are substantially the same.

26. A sediment roll according to claim 18 which, when subjected at 70°

F. to a test in which a weight of 200 lbs. is applied uniformly to a 1 foot long section of the top of the roll for 20 seconds, and is then removed, the height of the roll, in the section underneath the weight, decreases by at least 60% before the weight is removed, and recovers to at least at least 75% of its original height within one hour of the weight being removed.