A framework for simulating structural sediment perimeter barriers using VFSMOD

There are limited tools, particularly process-based models, to simulate the performance of a structural sediment perimeter barrier (SPB) to prevent sediment and particle-bound pollutant transport from construction sites. In this study, we developed a framework to simulate the process of water movement and sedimentation in fiber rolls, a type of structural SPB, using the Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System (VFSMOD). Fiber rolls constructed from two materials, excelsior wood fiber logs and coconut coir logs, were evaluated under controlled sheet flow conditions. VFSMOD was parameterized to represent shallow overland flow, infiltration, and sediment transport through the fiber rolls, especially with the estimation of equivalent buffer length and Manning’s roughness. Model performance was assessed by comparing simulated and observed water and sediment balance, outflow hydrographs, and spatial sediment deposition patterns (sediment wedges). Statistical performance was evaluated using Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE), and root mean square error (RMSE). The Manning’s roughness coefficients of excelsior wood fiber logs and coconut coir logs were estimated as 0.5 and 0.4, respectively. The comparison of the simulated and observed outflow results indicated that there was a good agreement (NSE: 0.845/0.508, KGE: 0.762/0.726, and RMSE: 50/93 cm3 s− 1) for both fiber rolls, and the model reasonably reproduced observed sediment deposition trends. The results demonstrate the potential for extending VFSMOD beyond vegetative filter strips to represent flow and sediment transport processes through fiber roll–based SPBs, providing a process-based modeling approach for evaluating sediment control practices at construction sites.