Abstract:
An apparatus and method for controlling water flow, soil erosion, and/or sediment flow in and around a construction site. The apparatus includes a three-dimensional, water-permeable polypropylene filled geotextile pocket that is secured to the ground with a supporting structure. The apparatus includes a tail portion that is placed flat against the ground, facing upstream against the direction of water flow. The tail portion can be secured with pins that provide protection against movement of the tail portion and reduce an amount of sediment passing under the apparatus.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional application No. 61/065,383, filed 11 Feb. 2008, the disclosure of which earlier application is incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof, including but not limited to those portions which specifically appear in this application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to sediment barriers. This invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling water flow, soil erosion and/or sediment flow at, for example, a construction site. 
     2. Discussion of Related Art 
     Environmental concerns and federal regulations, such as the Clean Water Act and the accompanying National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program, require construction sites, including road work projects, to control water flow to stop sediment loss and control soil erosion in and around a construction site. 
     The typical method currently used for controlling water flow to stop sediment loss and soil erosion is to secure one or more hay bales and/or a silt fence section in and around the construction area. While these barriers are generally effective, both can be easily compromised. 
     Hay bales, being a natural product, have a tendency to degrade and break down quickly and can become laden with weeds and other contaminants which can cause substantial environmental damage at the construction site. When a hay bale becomes wet, the hay material becomes heavy and bulky, making installation and removal difficult. Because hay bales are an agricultural product, hay bales are susceptible to climatic periods, and may be in short supply and difficult to obtain at a job site at certain times of the year. 
     Silt fencing can be effectively used at job sites when it is used for its primary purpose of preventing sediment loss. Silt fencing is designed to form a pool of water, which allows sediment to drop out. However, silt fencing is not designed to stand up against relatively high water flows. Silt fencing is susceptible to wind or other forms of weather damage. Generally, a silt fence is stapled to a stake which stuck into the ground and thus high winds or high water flow can rip the fabric from the staple or separate the staple from the stake. Once a silt fence is thus damaged, it is no longer able to protect against sediment loss. 
     Thus, there is a need for an improved barrier that controls water flow, sediment flow and/or prevents soil erosion in and around construction sites. Desirably, the barrier should be able to maintain integrity over time, by resisting wind, water and other forms weather related damage. There is a need for a barrier that allows construction workers to easily move the barrier to various locations, and not be heavy and bulky to handle, thereby preventing lifting related accidents and saving on freight charges. The barrier should be reusable at various construction sites. Thus, the apparatus should minimize or eliminate the chance of transporting weeds and other contaminants, because of concerns about introducing contaminants at each successive construction site. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A general object of this invention is to provide an improved barrier to reduce or eliminate soil erosion. 
     A more specific object of this invention is to overcome one or more of the problems previously described. 
     This invention relates to an apparatus for controlling water flow, soil erosion and/or sediment flow, such as along a ground surface or other surface. The apparatus includes a dam portion with a water-permeable, sediment impermeable cover enclosing a chamber, and a filler material disposed within the chamber. A rigid supporting structure is attached to the dam portion. A tail portion extends from a bottom edge of the dam portion. The supporting structure secures to the surface to hold the dam portion in an upright position, and the tail portion is disposed at an angle from the dam portion in a direction toward the flow of water. 
     This invention further provides an apparatus for controlling water flow, soil erosion and/or sediment flow along a surface, including a dam portion with a water-permeable, sediment impermeable cover enclosing a chamber, and a filler material disposed within the chamber. Each of two sleeves can be attached to one of opposing edges of the dam portion. A stake can be disposed through each of the sleeves and a tail portion can extend from a bottom edge of the dam portion. A support structure can be secured to the surface to hold the dam portion in an upright position, and the tail portion can be disposed at an angle from the dam portion, such as in a direction toward the flow of water. 
     This invention further provides a method for controlling water flow, soil erosion and/or sediment flow across a surface. The method includes providing a sediment barrier including a water-permeable, sediment impermeable cover enclosing a chamber, and disposing a filler material within the chamber. A sleeve can be attached to each of opposing edges of the dam portion, and a stake can be disposed through each of the sleeves. A tail portion can extend from a bottom edge of the dam portion. The sediment barrier can be positioned at an angle, such as perpendicular to a direction of the water flow. The sediment barrier can be secured in place by embedding an end of each of the stakes into the surface and/or extending the tail portion from the sediment barrier along the surface in a direction against the water flow. 
     In some embodiments, the sediment barrier of this invention has a geotextile cover over a polypropylene core material as a dam portion. The dam portion can be at least partially permeable to water, and impermeable to soil and other sediment, thereby allowing water to filter out undesired soil and other sediment. This invention can be used to pool and filter water, such as a function of the material selected as the cover and the density of the polypropylene core. A geotextile tail portion can extend from the dam portion along a section of the ground in which the barrier is placed. The tail portion can extend upstream against a direction of a flow of water. The tail portion increases the effectiveness of this invention by preventing soil and other sediment from seeping under the dam portion and undermining the purpose of the sediment barrier. 
     The sediment barrier of this invention can have a pair of supporting structures, such as wooden stakes, to provide vertical support and to anchor the sediment barrier in a position. The supporting structures pass through sleeves which are attached to the dam portion. 
     The sediment barrier of this invention controls water flow, sediment flow and/or prevents soil erosion in and around construction sites. The apparatus of this invention is able to maintain integrity over time, resisting wind, water and other forms weather related damage. The apparatus of this invention can be lightweight, allowing construction workers to easily move the apparatus to various locations. The apparatus of this invention is reusable at various construction sites and is resistant to weeds and other contaminants, lessening the possibility of introducing contaminants at successive construction sites. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other characteristics and features of this invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sediment barrier, according to one embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the sediment barrier as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial sectional view of the sediment barrier shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of two sediment barriers connected in a staggered formation, according to one embodiment of this invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of three sediment barriers connected in a staggered formation, according to another embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1-3  illustrate a sediment barrier  10 , according to one embodiment of this invention. The sediment barrier  10  includes or comprises a body or a dam portion  12  and a retainer or a tail portion  14 . In some embodiments of this invention, dam portion  12  includes or comprises a front cover  16  and a back cover  18 . The front cover  16  and/or the back cover  18  can be constructed from one or more higher-flow mono-filament geotextile fabrics, such as known to those skilled in the art of geotextile fabrics, which are generally light-weight, durable and resistant to growth of weeds and/or other contaminants. As used in this specification and in the claims, the term “geotextiles” refers to permeable fabrics which, when used in association with soil, have an ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect and/or drain. The front cover  16  and/or the back cover  18  can be formed from rectangular shaped sheets, such as shown in  FIG. 2 , or from any other suitable shape. The front cover  16  and/or the back cover  18  each is joined at its edges to form at least one pocket  20 , or interior volume, therebetween, and in some embodiments a plurality of pockets  20 , such as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The front cover  16  and/or back cover  18  each can be joined along its end and side edges with a seam  22 . The seam  22  can be any suitably durable conventional stitching for fabric. Alternative methods of forming the seam  22  include, but are not limited to, adhesive sealing, heat sealing and/or riveting. In other embodiments, the front cover  16  and/or the back cover  18  each is formed from a single, folded sheet of geotextile fabric which forms or defines the interior volume or pockets  20 . In other embodiments, a separating seam  23  can be utilized to form more than one pocket  20 . The separating seam  23  can be of any suitably durable conventional stitching for fabric. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , a core formed of a filler material  24  is positioned within the pocket  20 . The filler material  24  can be permeable to allow water to pass and to prevent soil and other sediment from passing through the filler material  24 . The filler material  24  can be constructed of a three-dimensional polypropylene, but may also be constructed of any other suitable material which can filter, for example sediment and soil from water. In some embodiments of this invention, the filler material  24  is constructed of a polypropylene material having a density from about 0.5 pounds per cubic foot to about 15.0 pounds per cubic foot. As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , according to certain embodiments of this invention, the front cover  16 , the back cover  18  and/or the filler material  24  can form an elliptical or a multi-elliptical shaped dam portion  12 . The dam portion  12  can be formed as any other suitable three-dimensional shape, depending on the need or the intended use. 
     In some embodiments of this invention, the dam portion  12  comprises two sleeves  26 , each disposed at one of the opposing side edges. Preferably, but not necessarily the sleeves  26  are constructed of the same material as both the front cover  16  and the back cover  18 . The sleeves  26  can be joined to the dam portion  12  using a sleeve seam  28 . Preferably, the sleeve seam  28  is a conventional stitching or other suitable fastener for fabric. Alternative methods for attaching a sleeve at the sleeve seam  28  includes, but is not limited to, adhesive sealing, heat sealing and/or riveting. In other embodiments, the sleeve  26  can be formed of a unitary piece of fabric or sheet material with the front cover  16  and/or the back cover  18 . 
     The dam portion  12  can be vertically supported with one support structure  30 , or a plurality of supporting structures  30 . The support structure  30  can be positioned within the sleeve  26 . A portion  31  of the support structure  30  can extend beyond the end of the sleeve  26 . As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the portion  31  extending beyond the sleeves  26  can be embedded in the ground and/or attached to another structure to secure the sediment barrier  10  in the desired position or location. The support structure  30  can be a stake and/or any other suitable support structure, and can be constructed of any suitable material, such as a metal or a plastic. 
     Extending at an angle from a bottom, a bottom portion and/or a bottom edge of the dam portion  12  is the tail portion  14 , which can also be referred to as a retainer, a flap or an apron. The tail portion  14  can prevent sediment from passing below, by and/or underneath the dam portion  12 , which could undermine the purpose of the sediment barrier  10 . The tail portion  14  can be constructed of the same material or a different material as the front cover  16  and the back cover  18 . In other embodiments, the tail portion  14  can be constructed of an impermeable material, for example to filter water solely by the dam portion  12 . In certain embodiments, the tail portion  14  is fixedly connected to and/or integrated with the dam portion  12 . 
     Methods of forming the fixed connection include, but are not limited to, sewing with a thread, adhesive sealing, heat sealing and/or riveting. In other embodiments, the tail portion  14  can be detachably connected to the dam portion  12 . Methods of forming the detachable connection include, but are not limited to, buttons, hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro™ fasteners, and/or zippers. In other embodiments, the tail portion  14  and at least one of the front cover  16  and the back cover  18  is constructed from or integrally formed as a single piece or an integrated piece of fabric. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the tail portion  14  is secured or fixed in position with at least one securing pin  32  inserted into or attachable to the ground. Any number of securing pins can be used, such as two or three pins, for each tail portion  14 . Securing pins  32  are preferably but not necessarily made of metal or plastic. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the tail portion  14  can include riveted holes  47  or another suitable structure through which the securing pin  32  can pass. In other embodiments, the securing pins  32  can pierce or puncture through the tail portion  14 . In alternative embodiments, the securing pins  32  are replaced by soil, sand, gravel, bricks and/or any other suitably heavy object. Often, as the sediment barrier  10  is used, sediment will build up on the tail portion  14  and thus further secure or fix the tail portion  14  in position. 
     In accordance with some embodiments of this invention, the sediment barrier  10  can be used alone or in combination with one or more additional sediment barriers  10 , for example to protect a site. 
       FIG. 4  shows two sediment barriers  40  assembled according to one embodiment of this invention.  FIG. 4  shows a top view of a pair of sediment barriers  40  connected in a staggered formation. Any other staggered configuration is possible. The tail portions  42  of the sediment barrier  40  can include or form one or more slits  34 . Each of the slits  34  is disposed along a side edge  44  of the tail portion  42 . The slits  34  allow the support structure  46  from an adjacent sediment barrier  40  to easily pass through the tail portion  42 , thereby allowing for the staggered relative placement as shown in  FIG. 4 , or otherwise, to create an overlapping sediment barrier structure. In other embodiments, the sleeves  26  of adjacent sediment barriers  10  can be configured to accommodate a single shared supporting structure between the sleeves  26 . 
     Various and alternative configurations are available for the slits  34  according to this invention. For example, each slit  34  can be a simple cut in the fabric of the tail portion  14 , optionally reinforced by threads, such as a button hole, or the slit  34  can be a shaped cut, such as a rectangle shown in  FIG. 4 , or other shapes depending on a need, such as depending on the size and shape of the support structure extending therethrough.  FIG. 5  illustrates yet another embodiment of this invention, showing the slits  34  as notches  50  cut out from the edges  52  of the tail portions  54 . 
     To utilize the sediment barriers  40  in  FIG. 4 , for example, to protect a water drainage grate  49  from receiving undesirable amounts of sediment, the dam portion  41  can be placed at a general angle, such as generally perpendicular to a water flow direction, shown by arrow  48 , with the tail portions  42  placed upon the ground and extending in a direction against the direction of the water flow and/or the sediment flow  48 . Water can pass through the sediment barrier  40  and into the grate  49  while preventing soil and/or other sediment from passing through and instead to build materials upon the tail portions  42  of each sediment barrier  40 . 
     Thus, this invention also relates to a method of controlling water flow, soil erosion and/or sediment flow across a surface. The sediment barriers  40  can be desirably aligned, such as generally perpendicular to an expected direction of the water flow and secured in place by embedding an end of each of the stakes  30  into the surface. The tail portions can extend from the sediment barrier  40  along the surface, such as the ground, in a direction against the water flow and/or the sediment, such as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     An end of a stake of a second sediment barrier  40  can be inserted through the slit  34  in the tail portion of the first sediment barrier  40 , and the second sediment barrier  40  can be secured in place by embedding an end of each of the second stakes into the surface. Construction of an overall barrier structure can be continued by similarly inserting an end of one stake of a third sediment barrier through the slit in the tail portion of the second sediment barrier. In this manner, the sediment barriers of this invention provide the ability to construct an overall barrier structure having the necessary and suitable size and shape for any given site. 
     Details of the discussed embodiments are given for purposes of illustration and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of this invention. Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention are described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. Further, it is recognized that many embodiments may not achieve all of the advantages of some embodiments, yet the absence of a particular advantage shall not be construed to necessarily mean that such an embodiment is outside the scope of this invention.