Developing a Methodological Framework for Estimating Temporary Drainage Capacity to Inform Land Requirements for a Highway Construction Project in Scotland

Mandy Wallace, Anita Meldrum, Slobodan Mickovski, Iain McNee, Derwyn Lear and Sam Flint
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Mandy Wallace: People and Places Solutions, Transportation, Jacobs UK Ltd., Glasgow G2 7HX, UK
Anita Meldrum: Department of Civil Engineering and Environment, School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK
Slobodan Mickovski: Department of Civil Engineering and Environment, School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK
Iain McNee: People and Places Solutions, Transportation, Jacobs UK Ltd., Glasgow G2 7HX, UK
Derwyn Lear: Formerly Jacobs UK Ltd., Glasgow G2 7HX, UK
Sam Flint: Formerly Jacobs UK Ltd., Glasgow G2 7HX, UK

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 14, 1-17

Abstract: Silt pollution generated during major highway construction projects can prove detrimental to the water environment and the aquatic species that depend on it. Construction activities can leave many kilometers of exposed soil susceptible to erosion from surface water runoff, which can result in silt pollution and degradation of ecologically sensitive watercourses if appropriate mitigation is not in place. In Scotland, assurances need to be provided during scheme development to demonstrate that there is sufficient space to accommodate temporary drainage. In response, a methodological framework has been developed that can be applied before construction commences to estimate the required capacity of settlement ponds including runoff and soil loss volume estimation, which are estimated using the Rational Method and Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The application of the framework as a case-study has demonstrated the potential applicability of the approach and highlighted where further refinements can be made to increase the robustness for future applications by improving the accuracy of input parameters to address site-specific conditions. Furthermore, it demonstrates how adopting erosion control measures can reduce the land required to accommodate temporary settlement ponds.

Keywords: highway construction; environmental protection; soil loss; erosion control (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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