Florida Soil Tracking Prevention Device

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) administers the Clean Water Act (CWA) through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). NPDES regulates all point source discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s), construction activities, and industrial activities. Construction sites that disturb one or more acres of land are required to obtain an NPDES stormwater permit to operate. Contractors submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to indicate when construction activity will begin. The Generic Permit is issued on a five-year cycle. Coverage for an individual construction site remains active until a Notice of Termination (NOT) is submitted. NOIs and NOTs are submitted electronically through the DEP’s Interactive Notice of Intent (iNOI) system. The Stormwater Program page includes links to the Generic Permit and the EPA Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) template, as well as FAQs to help contractors create a SWPPP and obtain a permit.

Florida Generic Permit for Stormwater Discharge from Large and Small Construction Activities

To obtain a Florida NPDES Generic Permit, contractors must develop, implement, and maintain a SWPPP that identifies the person responsible for managing the pollution control measures to be implemented on the job. The SWPPP also includes a site map detailing Best Management Practices (BMPs) to mitigate stormwater pollution. The Florida DEP and Department of Transportation have worked together to create the Erosion and Sediment Control Manual (rev. 2013), which contains standards and details about common BMPs.

One BMP is the use of a Soil Tracking Prevention Device (STPD). These are stabilized entrance points designed to minimize sediment tracked from the construction site onto impermeable surfaces. Polluted sediment on impermeable roadways will wash down storm drains and enter protected surface waters. These devices are used to minimize damage to surface waters caused by contaminated vehicle tracking.

Stabilized Construction Entrance in Florida

The Generic Permit states that contractors must “Minimize off-site vehicle tracking of sediments onto paved surfaces... If sediment escapes the construction site, remove off-site accumulations of sediment at a frequency sufficient to minimize off-site impacts.” Contractors are also advised to restrict all vehicle access to the construction entrances and use “appropriate stabilization techniques at all construction site access point(s) so sediment removal occurs before vehicle exit.”

Stone soil tracking prevention devices are commonly used to mitigate track-out. These stone pads consist of a 12'-wide and 50-foot-long excavated area, lined with a filter cloth and topped with at least 6 inches of crushed stone. According to the handbook, the stone must be between 2 inches and 4 inches in diameter. The soil tracking device must be installed so that runoff is directed into a sediment basin, preventing contaminated runoff from exiting onto the roadway.

Inspections of the soil tracking prevention device are required every 7 days and within 24 hours after a storm event of 0.5 inches or greater. Stone entrances can quickly degrade during a rain event as rock becomes flattened and compacted with soil. When dirt builds up on the rock, the top layer can be scraped, or the entrance can be refreshed with additional clean rock. Additional devices can be used in conjunction with the stone when there is expected high traffic, inclement weather, or when the standard soil-tracking prevention device is insufficient.

FODS Manufactured Stabilized Construction Access Mats offer a different approach to traditional soil-tracking prevention devices. FODS mats are designed to be used as a stand-alone solution that does not degrade over time or after inclement weather. This system is a durable, reusable solution to vehicle trackout.

FODS Reusable Construction Exit

The FODS Trackout Control System is a modular system linked with connecting hardware before being anchored to the ground. The mats can be installed without excavation and over a variety of substrates, including soil, asphalt, and concrete. Installation, relocation, maintenance, and even removal can be completed quickly and all without heavy equipment.

FODS mats are made of a high-density composite material formed into pyramids that mimic a rough rock surface and remove sediment from vehicle tires. The unique design of the mats deforms vehicle tires and removes sediment that has become stuck in the tire tread. As debris is removed from tires, it falls to the base of the pyramids and does not come into contact with other vehicles. When a rain event occurs or sediment builds up to the tops of the pyramids, the mats can be easily cleaned with a FODS shovel to restore functionality.

FODS is a modular sediment control device that is easy to customize for each project. A standard layout is a 1x5T, which provides a wide turning radius and 35’ of length. FODS are more effective than aggregate construction entrances, so this layout is commonly used to replace a 70 stone construction exit.

A unique advantage of using FODS is that it can be easily reused & relocated throughout various phases of a construction project. Engineered to be highly durable, FODS mats are designed for a service life of over ten years.