Was sure those new silt curtain anchors were just a gimmick

On a job near Mobile Bay last month, the current was way stronger than the charts said. My boss brought in these fancy helical anchors for the turbidity curtain, and I rolled my eyes thinking they were overpriced junk. We put in six of them in about half the time it takes to drive standard duckbills, and they held through a squall that would've ripped our old setup loose. The rep said they'd handle 3 knots of current, and I'll admit, they did. What other new gear have you guys tried that actually worked better than the old way?

4 comments

4 Comments

mianelson1mo ago

@charles640 you see this? First they come for our anchors, now they're after our wattles. What's next, inflatable coffer dams? I gotta say though, I was the same way about those silt curtain anchors. Took one look at the price tag and told my boss we were getting ripped off. Then we put them in during a nasty incoming tide and I had to eat my words. They spun in clean and held fast when the old duckbills would've started walking sideways. Rep said 3 knots and I figured it was marketing talk, but the squall that blew through would've ripped our old setup loose for sure. Funny how we all get stuck in our ways. Like how I used to swear by steel tip boots until someone made me try composite toes. Same thing with these new materials. @charles640 you should see how much time we saved not having to dig out old anchors and reset them after every big storm. Sometimes the new stuff actually works.

owens.anthony3mo ago

We had the same doubt about those new composite sediment tubes. The old straw wattles were a pain to move when wet. These new ones are lighter dry, but they don't soak up water and get heavy, so you can actually reposition them without a machine. Who knew a simple material change could save so much backache?

charles6403mo ago

Wait, they don't soak up water at all? That's wild.

jordancarr2mo ago

We switched to those last season and the difference is huge. They stay light even after heavy rain.