Sediment/Erosion/Perimeter Control Devices and Methods of Making and Using the Same

Abstract

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of sediment/erosion/perimeter control devices and methods of making and using the same. In exemplary embodiments, a sediment/erosion/perimeter control device (e.g., a wattle, etc.) comprises a material configured such that the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is reconfigurable between at least a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has a first size, shape, volume, and/or weight. In the second configuration, the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has a second size, shape, volume, and/or weight substantially larger than the corresponding first size, shape, volume, and/or weight that the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has in the first configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sediment/erosion/perimeter control device comprising a material configured such that the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is reconfigurable between at least:
 a first configuration in which the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has a first size, shape, volume, and/or weight; and   a second configuration in which the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has a second size, shape, volume, and/or weight substantially larger than the corresponding first size, shape, volume, and/or weight that the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has in the first configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is a wattle. 
     
     
         3 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 2 , wherein the wattle consists entirely of only the material that enables the wattle to be reconfigurable between the first configuration and the second configuration, such that the wattle does not include an outer shell separate from the material and such that the wattle in its entirety is reconfigurable between the first configuration and the second configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the wattle comprises a water permeable exterior;   the material comprises an infill encapsulated within an interior defined by the water permeable exterior of the wattle; and   the wattle is:
 compressible into the first configuration via compression of the infill; and 
 expandable from the first configuration to the second configuration via expansion of the infill when the infill absorbs water passing through the water permeable exterior of the wattle. 
   
     
     
         5 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the water permeable exterior of the wattle comprises jute fibers, sisal fibers, coir fibers, lyocell cellulose based fibers, and/or modal cellulose based fibers; and/or   the water permeable exterior of the wattle comprises movable, non-welded joints between horizontal and vertical twines that allow the twines to move independently thereby allowing for a reduction in the potential for wildlife entanglement in the twines.   
     
     
         6 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 4 , wherein the infill comprises a cellulose-based sponge infill. 
     
     
         7 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is expandable from the first configuration to the second configuration upon exposure to water. 
     
     
         8 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is compressible into the first configuration and expandable into the second configuration upon exposure to water. 
     
     
         9 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is hygroexpandable from the first configuration to the second configuration. 
     
     
         10 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is chemically activatable from the first configuration to the second configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises one or more of:
 a cellulose-based sponge infill;   a hygroexpandable infill;   an infill configured to be compressible and expandable upon absorption of water;   an infill configured to be chemically activatable to thereby reconfigure the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device from the first configuration into the second configuration;   a natural infill;   a non-natural infill;   a synthetic infill;   an organic, plant-based, and/or environmentally friendly infill;   a cellulose-based material; and/or   a sponge.   
     
     
         12 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises a porous material having a plurality of pores that absorb water when exposed to water thereby causing expansion of the porous material and the reconfiguration of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device from the first configuration into the second configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the material is biodegradable in its entirety. 
     
     
         14 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the material is pre-treated with chemical flocculant and/or one or more chemical additives to aide in chemical treatment of water and removal of pollutants. 
     
     
         15 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the material is configured with the capability of filtering water and the ability to expand from an initial volume and/or initial weight of the material. 
     
     
         16 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the material is a natural infill, and wherein:
 the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device consists of the natural infill as the only type of infill; or   the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device further comprises one or more additional infills different than the natural infill, the one or more additional infills including one or more natural infills, non-natural infills, and/or synthetic infills.   
     
     
         17 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device comprises a sediment retention device comprising the material; and   the material is configured such that the sediment retention device is:
 compressible into the first configuration via compression of the material; and 
 expandable from the first configuration to the second when the material expands upon absorption of water. 
   
     
     
         18 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device comprises a water permeable exterior; and   the material is encapsulated within an interior defined by the water permeable exterior of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device.   
     
     
         19 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 18 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is:
 compressible into the first configuration via compression of the material encapsulated within the interior defined by the water permeable exterior of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device; and   expandable from the first configuration to the second configuration via expansion of the material when the material absorbs water passing through the water permeable exterior of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device.   
     
     
         20 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 18 , wherein the water permeable exterior and the material encapsulated within the interior defined by the water permeable exterior are biodegradable in their entirety. 
     
     
         21 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 18 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device comprises:
 a netting, weave, knit, or nonwoven textile that defines the water permeable exterior of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device; and/or   jute fibers, sisal fibers, coir fibers, lyocell cellulose based fibers, and/or modal cellulose based fibers that defines the water permeable exterior of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device; and/or   the water permeable exterior of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device comprises movable, non-welded joints between horizontal and vertical twines that allow the twines to move independently thereby allowing for a reduced potential for wildlife entanglement in the twines.   
     
     
         22 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is configured to be biodegradable in its entirety. 
     
     
         23 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is a sediment retention device. 
     
     
         24 . The sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the material is provided within an interior defined by an exterior of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device
 when the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is manufactured; or   when the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is being deployed in the field.   
     
     
         25 . A system comprising a silt fence and the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is a wattle that is integrated with the silt fence such that the silt fence and the wattle are an integrated, singular, or unitary product. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the integration of the wattle with the silt fence eliminates the need to manually add the wattle to the silt fence and enables the silt fence and the wattle to be:
 packaged into a single unit;   shipped as a single unit; and/or   deployed in the field as a single unit without having to trench a lower portion of the silt fence.   
     
     
         27 . A system comprising a scour pad and the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is a wattle that is integrated with the scour pad such that the scour pad and the wattle are an integrated, singular, or unitary product. 
     
     
         28 . A system comprising a convertible silt fence/scour pad and the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is a wattle that is integrated with the convertible silt fence/scour pad such that the convertible silt fence/scour pad and the wattle are an integrated, singular, or unitary product; and   the convertible silt fence/scour pad is deployable in at least:
 a first orientation in which the convertible silt fence/scour pad is generally vertical and/or generally perpendicular relative to the ground or other surface supporting the wattle, whereby the convertible silt fence/scour pad is operable primarily as a silt fence; and 
 a second orientation in which the convertible silt fence/scour pad is generally horizontal and/or generally parallel relative to the ground or other surface supporting the wattle, whereby the convertible silt fence/scour pad is operable primarily as a scour pad. 
   
     
     
         29 . A method of using a sediment/erosion/perimeter control device comprising a material configured such that the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is reconfigurable between at least a first configuration in which the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has a first size, shape, volume, and/or weight, and a second configuration in which the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has a second size, shape, volume, and/or weight substantially larger than the corresponding first size, shape, volume, and/or weight that the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has in the first configuration, the method comprising:
 storing the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device while in the first configuration; and/or   shipping the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device while in the first configuration; and/or   deploying the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device while in the first configuration.   
     
     
         30 . A method of using a sediment/erosion/perimeter control device that includes a material configured such that the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device is reconfigurable between at least a first configuration in which the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has a first size, shape, volume, and/or weight, and a second configuration in which the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has a second size, shape, volume, and/or weight substantially larger than the corresponding first size, shape, volume, and/or weight that the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device has in the first configuration, the method comprising:
 incorporating the material into the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device during manufacturing of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device; or   incorporating the material into the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device after manufacturing of the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device while deploying the sediment/erosion/perimeter control device in the field.