Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Design and Construction of an Urban Runoff Research Facility
Published on: August 8, 2014
Erosion Control at Construction Sites: The Science-Policy Gap
1Earth and Resource Science Department, 516 Murchie Science Bldg., University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, Michigan 48502-1950, USA
Abstract:
/ To test the effectiveness of Michigan's soil erosion control law, 30 construction sites were evaluated in the east-central part of the state. The analytical framework lumped nine best management practices (BMPs) most closely related to the law into three categories: slope stabilization, soil stabilization, and water management. All sites were in the land clearing or foundation/framing stage of construction and were evaluated within 2 days after a rainfall event. Only four of the sites performed above the mean of the scoring scale, with the categorical scoring of BMPs indicating the worst performance for slope stabilization measures. The poor results suggest a failure to integrate scientific knowledge of erosion control with policy. A fundamental problem is the lack of basic site data on soil, topography, and hydrology, resulting in the incorrect application of BMPs, such as staging, filter fences, and berms. The current institutional framework for soil erosion control also provides disincentives to mitigate local erosion problems.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Abrasion Resistance of Concrete
One such test is the revolving disc test, where three plates...
Shotcrete
Design Example: Managing Concrete Workability
To address...
Conservation of Mass in Moving, Nondeforming Control Volume
In the context of a detention basin, the conservation of mass states that the total mass of water entering the basin must equal the mass leaving the basin plus any accumulation of...
Net Change Theorem

