1

Evans Wolfenden
Partnership
Second Floor
12 Wynnstay Road
Colwyn Bay
Conwy County
LL29 8HT

Project

Job Ref.

PROPOSED DWELLING, BASSALEG, NEWPORT

Calculations for
Date

Checked by

SEPT 2010

PROPOSED DWELLING, BASSALEG, NEWPORT

SOAKAWAY DESIGN

Contents1. INTRODUCTION
2. OBJECTIVE
3. LAYOUT
4. SOIL INFILTRATION RATE

6. CONCLUSION

AppendicesA. Drawings

SOAKAWAY DESIGN
Prepared by
AH

5. SOAKAWAY DESIGN

EWP1878
Sheet no.

Date

Rev

Evans Wolfenden
Partnership
Second Floor
12 Wynnstay Road
Colwyn Bay
Conwy County
LL29 8HT

Project

Job Ref.

PROPOSED DWELLING, BASSALEG, NEWPORT

Calculations for

EWP1878
Sheet no.

SOAKAWAY DESIGN
Prepared by
AH

Date

Checked by

Date

Rev

SEPT 2010

1. INTRODUCTION
These calculations relate to sizing of soakaways to receive flows from the roofs of a proposed new
dwelling and associated detached garage to be constructed on a site located off Highfield Lane,
Bassaleg, Newport. The location of development site is indicated on the copy of Dwg. No.
EWP1878/s(20)L001 Location Plan, contained in Appendix A
2. OBJECTIVE
The objective of these calculations is to establish the required capacities including dimensions of the
soakaways to receive the run off flows from the roof areas.
3. LAYOUT
On the copy of Dwg. No. EWP1878/s(27)L002 Proposed Site Layout, contained in Appendix A,
are shown outline details of the proposed new dwelling and garage, their locations within the
curtiledge of the development site together with the proposed locations of the soakaways.
4. SOIL INFILTATION RATE
A sub soil investigation to establish a percolation value was undertaken on XXth September 2010 in
overcast conditions and occasional light rain. A 0.60m wide x 1.30m long x 1.35m deep pit was
excavated in the vicinity of the locations of the proposed soakaways,
The excavation revealed a sub-strata of light brown sandy gravely clay. No water table was
encountered and no seepage of ground water into the pit with it remaining dry until the
commencement of the test.
The pit was filled with water to a depth of 0.50m. The water level was observed for 20min. during
which time it dropped 150mm.
The pit was refilled to its original water level and during the following 25 mins the measured drop was
75mm.
Adopting the data associated with the performance of the refilled pit and assuming the loss from the
pit was uniform, the infiltration rate f is given by:
f = V / (A x T)
where: V Volume of water lost from the pit is given by:
1.300 x 0.600 x 0.075 = 0.0585m3
A Surface Area through which water was lost from the pit.
Sides: 2(0.6+1.30) x 0.425* = 1.62
* average depth of water during time T
Base: 1.3 x 0.6
= 0.78
Total
2.40m2
T Time the water was lost from the pit
25 x 60 = 1500secs
therefore

f = 0.0585/2.40 x 1500 = 1.625 x 10-5 m/s

5. SOAKAWAY DESIGN
The soakaway is to comprise a 1.0m deep x 1.0m wide core of terram wrapped storm cell baskets
(95% free volume) surrounded by a clean stone backfill to the working area around the core.
The inflow will discharge through a porous feeder pipe originating from a collection chamber to which
are drained the delivery pipework from around the new dwelling. The calculations to determine the

Evans Wolfenden
Partnership
Second Floor
12 Wynnstay Road
Colwyn Bay
Conwy County
LL29 8HT

Project

Job Ref.

PROPOSED DWELLING, BASSALEG, NEWPORT

EWP1878

Calculations for

Sheet no.

SOAKAWAY DESIGN
Prepared by

Date

AH

Checked by

Date

Rev

SEPT 2010

length of the soakaways will be based on the methodology used in the BRE Digest 365 Soakaway
Design (BRE 365) i.e the required storage of the soakaway(s) is the difference between the total
volume of inflow and the total volume of outflow for the critical duration of a 1 in 10yr storm event.
a/ Inflow to Soakaway
The inflow I is given by the equation:
I=AXR
where: A Allowable Impermeable Roof Area
Total Roof Area of the Dwelling = 101.0m2 (measured from approved dwg.)
R - Total Rainfall
Design rainfall is derived from a 1 in 10yr return period event and its critical duration.
Determination of the critical duration and its inflow is as follows:
From Fig. 1 in BRE365 the rainfall ratio for , r = 0.32.
Utilising Tables 1 & 2 in the digest for factors Z1 & Z2 a table of storm
rainfalls for a range of durations and resultant Inflows are as follows:
Table A - Inflow to Soakaway
Storm Duration
Z1

M5-D min

Z2

M10-D min

D min

r = 0.32

= 20mm x Z1

Growth

= R mm

101 x R/103 m3

Inflow (I)

10
30
60
120
240
360
600

0.496
0.776
1.000
1.236
1.543
1.746
2.066

9.92
15.52
20.00
24.72
30.86
34.92
41.32

1.22
1.24
1.24
1.24
1.22
1.20
1.19

12.10
19.24
24.80
30.65
37.65
41.90
49.17

1.22
1.94
2.50
3.10
3.80
4.23
4.97

------------------//------------------b/ Outflow from Soakaway

The outflow O is given by the equation
O = as50 x f x D
where: as50 Internal surface area of the soakaway pit, excluding the base area, to 50% of its
storage depth
The excavated pit to house the soakaway will be Lm long x 0.50m effective depth
x 1.0m wide and therefore the allowable area
= 2 x (L + 1.0) x (1.0/2)
= L + 1.0
f Soil Infiltration Rate
= 1.625 x 10-5 m/s
D Storm Duration .
= D x 60 secs
therefore O = (L + 1.0) X (1.625 x 10-5) x (D x 60) m3
------------------//----------------------

- (O)

Evans Wolfenden
Partnership
Second Floor
12 Wynnstay Road
Colwyn Bay
Conwy County
LL29 8HT

Project

Job Ref.

PROPOSED DWELLING, BASSALEG, NEWPORT

Calculations for

EWP1878
Sheet no.

SOAKAWAY DESIGN
Prepared by
AH

Date

Checked by

Date

Rev

SEPT 2010

c/ Soakaway Storage Volume

The effective volume V of the soakaway with 95% free volume of the terram wrapped stone is given
by:
V = {(1.0 x 1.0 x 0.95)} x L
= 0.95L m3
- (V)
------------------//------------------d/ Calculation of Soakaway Length (L)
The required storage volume of the soakaway for a M10-D min run off is given by the following
equation:
Inflow (I) Outflow (O) = Storage Volume (V)
i.e Inflow (I)* - (1.0 + L) x (1.625 x 10-5) x (D x 60) = 0.95L

* - Value from Table A for D

The results of calculation of the required soakaway lengths L for the various storm durations D
considered in Table A, have been tabulated, and are as follows:
Table B Soakaway Length
Storm Duration
Required Soakaway Length
D min

10
30
60
120
240
360
600

L m.

1.26
1.94
2.41
2.98
2.99
2.98
2.82

The results indicate that the critical duration is around 4hrs for a 1 in10yr storm event and the
soakaway requires a minimum length of 2.99m say 3.00m
------------------//------------------e/ Emptying Half Storage Volume
The time taken for the soakaway to half empty ts50, is given by the following:
ts50 = S x 0.5 / as50 x f
= (3.00 x 1.00 x 1.00) x 0.5 / (3.00 + 1.00) x 1.625 x 10-5 seconds
= 6.41 hours
The time taken is less than 24hrs and therefore satisfactory.
6 CONCLUSION
These calculations show that the soakaway construction as designed to serve the dwelling requires a
3.00m minimum length of 1.00m x 1.00m of terram wrapped storm cell baskets to provide the
necessary storage for the critical storm duration of 240min.
The garage roof area, measured from the approved drawings is 42.5m2 and on a pro-rata basis a
1.26m length of 1.00m x 1.00m of terram wrapped storm cell baskets would be required to provide
sufficient storage for the critical storm.
As stated previously all working areas within the soakaway excavations will be backfilled with clean
stone and each soakaway will be fed from a 100mm diameter porous pipe originating from a
collection chamber receiving flows from the delivery pipework from around the buildings.

Evans Wolfenden
Partnership
Second Floor
12 Wynnstay Road
Colwyn Bay
Conwy County
LL29 8HT

Project

Job Ref.

PROPOSED DWELLING, BASSALEG, NEWPORT

Calculations for

EWP1878
Sheet no.

SOAKAWAY DESIGN
Prepared by
AH

Date

Checked by

Date

SEPT 2010

APPENDICES

A/ DRAWINGS
1/ Drawing No. EWP1878/s(20)L001: Location Plan
2/ Drawing No. EWP1803/s(20)L002: Proposed Site Layout

Rev