CEPSCI Construction Site Best Management Practices 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A stabilized construction entrance is designed to:
- Provide parking for construction workers
- Remove mud and debris from vehicle tires to prevent tracking onto public roads (Correct answer)
- Mark the boundary of the construction site
- Support heavy equipment on soft soil
Correct answer: Remove mud and debris from vehicle tires to prevent tracking onto public roads
A stabilized construction entrance made of coarse aggregate scrapes mud and debris from vehicle tires before they exit the site, preventing sediment tracking onto adjacent paved roads and storm drain inlets.
Question 2: What is the recommended aggregate size for a stabilized construction entrance?
- Fine sand (0.5 to 1 mm)
- Coarse aggregate 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter (Correct answer)
- Crushed concrete fines
- Topsoil
Correct answer: Coarse aggregate 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter
Coarse aggregate in the 1.5 to 3 inch range is large enough to knock mud off tires through mechanical agitation as vehicles drive over it, while remaining stable under heavy equipment loads.
Question 3: Inlet protection BMPs are installed at storm drain inlets to:
- Increase the capacity of the storm drain
- Prevent sediment-laden runoff from entering the storm drain system and being conveyed directly to receiving waters (Correct answer)
- Filter pollutants from stormwater after it enters the pipe
- Mark the location of underground pipes
Correct answer: Prevent sediment-laden runoff from entering the storm drain system and being conveyed directly to receiving waters
Inlet protection devices such as sediment traps, filter bags, or curb inlet protection prevent sediment from entering storm drains and being transported directly to streams or other receiving waters.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a concrete washout area on a construction site?
- To wash construction workers' clothing
- To contain wash water and concrete waste from concrete trucks and equipment, preventing discharge to the stormwater system (Correct answer)
- To cool concrete in hot weather
- To store concrete blocks and materials
Correct answer: To contain wash water and concrete waste from concrete trucks and equipment, preventing discharge to the stormwater system
Concrete washout areas contain highly alkaline concrete wash water and residual concrete, preventing it from entering storm drains or waterways where it could cause significant water quality impacts.
Question 5: Which BMP is most effective for controlling erosion on a steep slope that cannot be immediately seeded?
- Silt fence at the base only
- Erosion control blanket or turf reinforcement mat installed on the slope surface (Correct answer)
- Gravel mulch applied at the top
- Temporary fence posts only
Correct answer: Erosion control blanket or turf reinforcement mat installed on the slope surface
Erosion control blankets or turf reinforcement mats physically protect the soil surface on steep slopes from raindrop impact and runoff erosion, providing interim stabilization until vegetation establishes.
Question 6: A pipe slope drain is used to:
- Measure the slope gradient of the site
- Convey runoff down a steep slope in a controlled manner without causing erosion (Correct answer)
- Filter sediment from flowing water
- Connect two sediment basins
Correct answer: Convey runoff down a steep slope in a controlled manner without causing erosion
A pipe slope drain transports concentrated runoff down steep slopes through a pipe to a protected outlet, preventing erosion that would occur if water flowed freely down the slope surface.
CEPSCI Construction Site Best Management Practices 1
A stabilized construction entrance is designed to: