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 a NPDES stormwater permit to operate. Contractors submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to indicate when construction activity will begin. The permit coverage is valid for five years or until contractors submit a Notice of Termination (NOT). Both Notices can be submitted by filling out a paper form or by using the Interactive Notice of Intent (iNOI).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 NPDES Generic Permit

To obtain a Florida NPDES Generic Permit, contractors must create and submit a SWPPP which identifies the person responsible for managing the pollution control measures that will be taken on the job. The SWPPP also contains a site map which details Best Management Practices (BMPs) that will be used 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 which are built to minimize any polluted sediment that is tracked out of 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 the damage caused to surface waters 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 prior to vehicle exit.”

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

Inspections of the soil tracking prevention device is required every seven days and within 24 hours after a storm event that is 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 stone when there is expected to be a high volume of traffic, inclement weather, or when the standard soil tracking prevention device is not sufficient.

FODS Manufactured Stabilized Construction Access Mats offer a different approach to traditional methods 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

FODS Trackout Control System is a modular system that is linked together 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 consist of a high-density composite material which are 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 stuck inside 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 when sediment builds up to the tops of the pyramids, the mats can be easily cleaned with a FODS shovel to completely restore functionality.

FODS is a modular sediment control device which 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 extremely durable, FODS mats are designed for 10+ years of service life.