Before any construction can begin on any project disturbing over 2,500 Square Feet in Northern Virginia and 50 Square Feet in Washington, DC there must be approved Erosion & Sediment Control Plans and an active grading permit.
Pre-Construction Meeting
Once plans and permits are approved, there will be a pre-construction meeting scheduled with the Site Inspector, Owner, and Contractor. Upon request, the project Arborist and Civil Engineer may also be required to attend the meeting.
Limits of Disturbance (LOD) Stakeout
Prior to the pre-construction meeting, the limits of land disturbance will need to be staked out with white ribbon to delineate the limits of construction, which is where the perimeter Erosion & Sediment Controls will be placed.
Regular Silt Fence (Wood Stake and Fabric)
This type of perimeter erosion control fence is “a temporary sediment barrier consisting of a synthetic filter fabric stretched across and attached to supporting posts and entrenched.” The purpose of this silt fence is to “intercept and detain small amounts of sediment from disturbed areas during construction operations in order to prevent sediment from leaving the site.”
Super Silt Fence (Chain Link Fence & Fabric)
An upgraded form of silt fence on construction sites is called Super Silt Fence. This type of erosion control fence is the same type of woven synthetic filter fabric as regular Silt Fence, but supported with a much stronger chain link fence. Super Silt Fence is used in areas that need a higher level of erosion control protection such as Tree Protection Areas and areas receiving more water runoff.
Temporary Stone Construction Entrance
A construction entrance is a “stabilized stone pad with a filter fabric underliner located at points of vehicular ingress and egress on a construction site.” The purpose of this construction entrance erosion control is to “reduce the amount of mud transported onto paved public roads by motor vehicles or runoff.”
If the temporary construction entrance is placed in the same footprint of the proposed driveway, it can be reused as stone base for the future asphalt or concrete driveway at the end of the project.
The overall goal of Erosion Controls on a construction project, whether silt fence or another sediment control measure, is to contain sediment and construction activities inside a defined area of construction. All areas outside these limits are to be protected; no machinery or construction material staging is allowed outside this defined disturbance area. Any disturbance past these limits may result in a county violation and/or a Stop Work Order. These temporary erosion controls must stay in place and be maintained until the construction project is completed with final landscaping in place and final approval is received from the site inspector. Once all disturbed areas are stabilized with landscaping and growing grass, the erosion controls will then be able to be removed.
A complete list of Erosion Controls can be found in the Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, which is the handbook your Civil Engineer will follow when designing the Erosion & Sediment Control Plans for your Northern Virginia project.
For more information, please contact us for a quote on your next Land Development project.
