4.1 Proper installation is critical to effective performance of silt fence. This practice presents procedures for installing and maintaining silt fence that have been shown to result in silt fence installations that effectively redirect and impound surface runoff and, thereby, provide effective sediment control.

Note 1: The quality of the result produced by this standard is dependent on the competence of the personnel performing it, and the suitability of the equipment and facilities used. Agencies that meet the criteria of Practice D3740 are generally considered capable of competent and objective testing/sampling/inspection/etc. Users of this standard are cautioned that compliance with Practice D3740 does not in itself assure reliable results. Reliable results depend on many factors; Practice D3740 provides a means of evaluating some of those factors

1.1 This practice covers common installation and maintenance procedures for temporary silt fence applications. This practice is based on AASHTO M288.

1.2 This practice is applicable to the use of silt fence as a vertical permeable interceptor designed to remove suspended soil from overland, non-concentrated water flow. The function of a temporary silt fence is to trap and allow settlement of soil particles from sediment laden water by intercepting and impounding water in an effort to slow the transport velocity and provide storage for sediment to be captured. The purpose is to greatly limit the transport of eroded soil from the construction site by water runoff.

1.3 The practices presented herein are intended to ensure good workmanship and quality, but do not necessarily apply to the concentrated flow applications.

1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents, therefore each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.

1.5 This practice offers an organized collection of information or a series of options and does not recommend a specific course of action. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this guide may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project's many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the title of this document means only that the document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.

1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.