A silt fence built to AASHTO M288
SIGMA silt fence is an effective sediment control fence for above-ground use on construction sites. The woven polypropylene fabric maintains overland sheet flow and filters out suspended soil particles, preventing downstream deposition and acting as a defensive erosion control practice. Every roll is engineered to meet the AASHTO M288 "Temporary Silt Fence" requirements, balancing UV resistance, grab strength and hydraulic flow so the silt fence performs as designed in the field. As a geotextile silt fence it filters silt-laden runoff while the perimeter line still passes clean sheet flow.
How the woven fabric is made
The siltation fence fabric is woven from high-tenacity polypropylene tape yarns, then UV-stabilized with carbon black so it holds at least 70% of its strength after 500 hr of exposure. The tight weave sets a calibrated apparent opening size that lets water flow through while trapping suspended soil, giving the silt fence its filtration role. Because the same polymer family runs through our liners and fabrics, the silt cloth shares the abrasion, rot and chemical resistance buyers expect from a true geotextile rather than a light landscape mesh.
Supported vs unsupported silt fence
For ordinary perimeter sediment control an unsupported silt fence on posts at 4 ft spacing is enough; where flows are higher a supported, wire backed silt fence on 6 ft post spacing is specified. This reinforced silt fence — sometimes called a super silt fence — adds wire mesh behind the fabric for high-flow, heavy duty sites. Our standard production grade is a heavy duty silt fence with 200 × 200 lb grab tensile and 75 × 75 lb trapezoidal tear, comfortably meeting AASHTO M288 in both configurations. Choose 24, 30 or 36 in fabric height to suit the disturbed area and expected sediment load.
Installation and SWPPP use
A silt fence is trenched in along the down-slope contour so runoff ponds and drops its sediment before reaching waterways, which is why it is a core SWPPP and silt runoff control measure on graded sites. Posts are driven on the down-flow side at the rated spacing, the fabric is keyed into a small trench and backfilled, and the silt fence stakes hold the line under load. We supply it as plain silt fence fabric for crews who set their own posts, or as an assembled silt fence with stakes for faster installation.
Typical applications and projects
Contractors use SIGMA silt fence as a construction silt fence around stockpiles and disturbed soil, as an erosion control fence on slopes and along ditches and channels, and as a reinforced silt fence on highway, subdivision and utility jobs that must hold heavier flows. Where sediment has to be contained in the water rather than on land, pair it with our turbidity curtain; for the full land-and-water sediment kit see the wider erosion control range.
Sizes, rolls and supply
The black woven silt fence fabric ships on 100 ft and 300 ft rolls, as plain silt fence rolls or as assembled silt fence with stakes ready to install. As a silt fence manufacturer we supply construction silt fence, erosion control fence and reinforced silt fence to specification — tell us the height, roll length, wire-backing requirement and quantity and we will quote silt fence price per foot or per roll ex-works. Custom-printed silt fence and high-visibility colours are available on request for branded or DOT projects.