Vegetated Biofilter for Post Construction Storm Water Management for Linear Transportation Projects – Dormant Grass Test Supplement

The vegetated biofilter is a low impact development technique that can be integrated into stormwater management of linear transportation systems and capitalize on the natural environment to mitigate stormwater. In the project report (USFHWA/OH-2010/7), the behavior of a 4 ft (1.2 m) wide by 14 ft (4.3 m) long prototype vegetated biofilter slope under simulated storm events at various pollutant concentrations, slopes, and flow rates was evaluated. This supplement discusses the behavior of the same prototype during dormant or winter conditions at slopes and flow rates as follows: 8:1, medium; 4:1, medium; and 2:1, medium. Tests were conducted using methods similar to that of the original study. The influent pollutant concentration during the simulated storm events was at the “medium” level, which included medium concentration during the first part and low concentration in the trailing portion of the event. The pollutants included the same seven metals, soil, and oil used in the original study. In addition chlorides were added in the influent to simulate and measure the effects of salt used for pavement winter maintenance on the biofilter. The prototype vegetated biofilter foreslope under dormant conditions provided fair to excellent performance in removal of pollutants (seven metals, suspended material, and oil and grease) from a medium concentration simulated storm water runoff. Over 80 percent removal was achieved for all constituents except iron (75%), zinc (58%) and chlorides (negligible). TSS removal declined from a summer condition average removal of about 95% to 80% for the dormant condition. Results at slopes of 8:1, 4:1, and 2:1 did not indicate declining performance with increasing slope. Vegetation coverage was about 60 % for the dormant tests contrasted to an average 83% during the summer tests, which contributed to the reduction in removals. Within the parameters of this study, findings indicated that the foreslope portion of the vegetated biofilter even during a dormant condition significantly reduces the quantity of pollutants in the runoff.

• Record URL:
  http://worldcat.org/oclc/671776720/viewonline
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/39895
• Corporate Authors:

  Ohio University, Athens

  Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment
  141 Stocker Engineering and Technology Center
  Athens, OH  United States  45701-2979

  Ohio Department of Transportation

  Innovation, Research, and implementation Section, 1980 West Broad Street
  Columbus, OH  United States  43223

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Mitchell, Gayle F
  • Riefler, R Guy
  • Russ, Andrew
• Publication Date: 2010-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Technical Report Supplement
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 64p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Filters; Runoff; Vegetation; Winter
• Uncontrolled Terms: Biofilters; Dormant grass; Storm water management; Vegetated filter strips
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01329776
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: USFHWA/OH-2010/7 Supplement
• Contract Numbers: State Job No. 134349
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 16 2011 1:42PM