Silt curtains and the sediment control

As the environmental impact and regulatory constraints associated with water pollution become an increasingly growing concern, silt curtains are being used for a range of environmental purposes.

Originally designed to contain the spread of sediment during dredging and reclamation, today, they are used for processes including dewatering, outfall containment to intake protection, stormwater management, agriculture impact reduction projects and many others.

In the dredging industry, whether it is hydraulic or mechanical, all dredging projects are subject to some level of particle suspension.

From land reclamation to the construction of ports, such as the brand-new Dubai Harbour, of all the systems that can be used to contain particle or contaminants suspension, silt curtains provide one of the most economical and environmentally friendly solutions.

Silt curtains in Europe are also used for maintenance dredging of areas that might have concentration of pollutants such as chemicals and heavy metals in the marine sediments.

Containment of these can be more of a focus than reduction in turbidity as many European rivers are already high in turbidity due to other factors such as bank erosion and stormwater pollution.

Chris Reeder, from supplier of engineered solutions for sustainable coastal and marine development, Ecocoast, UK, explains more.