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SECTION 33 49 23
STORM DRAINAGE WATER RETENTION STRUCTURES
1 GENERAL
SCOPE
A. This document provides specifications for the supply and installation of buried
geocellular storm water run-off attenuation / infiltration systems. The system shall
collect, store and release run-off at a reduced flow rate – through a flow control device
– into an appropriate outfall and / or provide a means of infiltration of water into the
ground. Inspection and maintenance shall be provided in accordance with the
requirements of Section 11 of this document.
REFERENCES
A. Reference shall be made to the following documents:
BS 8006-1:2010; Annex A Code of practice for strengthened / reinforced
soils and other fills
(Structural design guidance)
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CIRIA Special publication 124 Barriers, Liners and cover systems for
containment of land contamination
DEFINITIONS
A. The following definitions apply to this Specification are in part based on BS 6100-
2:2007 Building and civil engineering – Vocabulary – Part 2: Spaces, building types,
environment and physical planning.
1. Soakaway: A sub surface structure into which surface water is conveyed,
designed to promote infiltration
2. Surface Water: Water from precipitation which has not seeped into the ground
and which is discharged to the drain or sewer system directly from the ground or
from exterior building surfaces
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3. Attenuation: Water is collected, stored and released at a reduced flow rate through
a flow control device into an appropriate outfall
4. Geotextile: A non-woven, continuous filament needle-punched fabric that has a
high drainage capacity in both the horizontal and vertical planes
5. Geomembrane: An impermeable membrane used with soils, rock, earth or other
geotechnical material to block the migration of fluids.
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clipped together to form a box. Plates can be placed inside the box unit to increase
its load capacity. The individual plates themselves are flat plastic frame structures
with vertical plates having semi-circular columns in each plate. The plates and
vertical columns shall provide a 95 % void ratio.
B. Bending moments in the various elements and joints of these units is a significant
factor that needs to be considered during testing and design.
C. These units may require on-site assembly; it is important that the manufacturer’s
assembly instructions are followed to ensure the structural integrity is not
compromised.
2 MATERIALS
SOURCE MATERIAL
A. Geocellular box units used in drainage systems shall be manufactured from one of
the following virgin materials:
Polypropylene (PP)
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
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Product data sheets shall be provided for all proposed materials and products,
with sufficient clarity and detail, for approval by the Engineer.
Samples shall be provided where requested for inspection by the Engineer.
Shall comply with a particular national or international standard shall be marked
with the certified trade mark associated with the organisation responsible for the
standard.
Shall be packaged, transported, handled and stored in such a manner as to
avoid any damage or contamination, and in accordance with all applicable
recommendations of the manufacturers
C. The Contractor shall submit a list of the proposed suppliers and sources of materials
required for the execution of the works to the Engineer prior to placing orders for
materials.
D. The manufacturer shall demonstrate that they have suitable quality control testing
procedures in place to ensure that materials are consistent and will not cause
reduction in strength. The properties of the material used to manufacture the units
that are tested in compression to determine the design criteria shall be recorded. If
materials are used that vary from these baseline properties the units shall be retested
to determine the design parameters.
E. Recycled materials PP, HDPE and PVC shall not be used as feedstock.
TESTING OF MATERIALS
A. Testing of materials shall be in accordance with approved international test
procedures at an accredited of approved test facility to the satisfaction of the
Engineer. Test certificates shall be provided for all products and materials where
required by the Engineer which shall clearly state the standard or specification
against which the test has been undertaken and whether the product or material has
passed or failed.
B. To date there are no European or British Standard test methods for determining the
strength characteristics of modular geocellular plastic units. However there are a
number of National Bodies such as BBA in the UK, CSTB in France and RAL in
Germany who together with a number of manufacturers have evolved nationally
acceptable methodologies.
C. CIRIA Report C680 is a recognised British guide for determining the performance
characteristics of modular geocellular plastic systems. Test methods are provided in
Appendices A1 and A2 of CIRIA Report C680.
D. Appendices A1 and A2 shall be considered as a minimum level of testing. If required
the test method should be extended to ensure that it will be suitable for the particular
type of box being tested and that the testing replicates how the unit will perform in
practice.
E. The test results obtained at 40°C shall be used to determine the characteristic
strength and deformation properties of the units. These values are then used as the
basis of the structural design, see Section 3 of this document.
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represent the unrestrained loading condition – no lateral restraint. A minimum of three
samples shall be tested at a load rate of 10% of the yield load per minute.
B. The maximum deflection of a geocellular unit shall be: 1mm per every:
60 KN/m2 of applied pressure at 23°C ± 2°C
30 KN/m2 of applied pressure at 40°C ± 5°C
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4. Contact area: Continuous Deck
Note: A partial safety factor for materials shall be applied to the characteristic ultimate
loading design parameters. See Clause 3.4 of this document.
C. The long term load values shall be used to determine the static proof load and will
thus determine the appropriate application, or exclusion, for a specific location for the
geocellular tanks.
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
A. Material properties that shall be tested during manufacture are listed in the following
table:
Requirement Value
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Note: This table is reproduced from Table 2.1 of CIRIA Report C680. Refer to Section
2.2.6 above for method of determining temperature correction factor for 40°C.
B. In addition to testing the raw materials the units shall also be tested as part of the
manufacturer’s quality control procedures. Typical unit properties that shall be
measured are listed below:
3 STRUCTURAL DESIGN
A. The design of the geocellular attenuation tanks is to be carried out by the
manufacturer’s designer of the proprietary system to the Engineer’s approval. The
manufacturer(s) shall supply all test data to meet the requirements of this
specification.
Public open spaces, beneath landscaped areas and paths and areas used to park
cars. The landscaping scheme for the site shall be considered when assessing
the loads upon the tank.
The vehicular access to the tank shall be restricted so as to exclude large vehicles,
in excess of the design vehicle load, from the area above the tank.
take account of all applied loads, including accidental and temporary loading
be based on appropriate laboratory tests
use appropriate factors of safety
analyse all appropriate limit states (or failure modes)
B. The determination of the loads to be carried by the geocellular units shall be
determined in accordance with the requirements of BS EN 1997-1 and BD31/01.
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3.2.2 Variable loads
A. Variable loads shall be as follows:-
1. Characteristic distributed loads – minimum loading of 5 or 10 kN/m2 depending
on site use see Table 4.2 of CIRIA Report C680
B. Both the distributed and concentrated loads shall be assessed; the appropriate value
is dependent on the structural check being undertaken and the proposed location of
the tanks.
C. To allow for variations that may occur over the life of a tank and to give a robust
design, the characteristic loads (un-factored) shall be increased by a partial factor of
safety (see Clause 3.4 of CIRIA Report C680).
Location Risk
B. If the tank has not been designed to carry accidental loading then special precautions
may be required to prevent it occurring. The area above a tank shall be fenced off or
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have other barriers / landscaping to prevent vehicle access. Warning signs shall be
provided to state that there is an area with limited load bearing capacity and restricted
access for vehicles.
C. The location of the tank and any loading restrictions shall be clearly identified in the
operation and maintenance manual for any facility.
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installed at greater depths. These must be designed by a qualified geotechnical or
structural engineer.
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intrinsic properties of the unit, including manufacture consistency and statistical
uncertainty of test data extrapolation
effect of installation damage
weathering
chemical and environmental effects
E. Further guidance is given in section 4.6 of CIRIA Report C680.
F. The minimum material factor of safety for a design life of 50 years shall be:
Temperature
A. Where geocellular units are used within proximity of the ground surface they may
suffer from temperature variations as the surface heats and cools throughout the
year. Units shall be tested for the extremes of temperature that may be encountered
when installed in the ground. The range of temperatures used in the design shall be:
JOINTS
A. Unless otherwise specified herein or elsewhere in the Project Specifications, or
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directed by the Engineer, all joints shall be in accordance with the manufacturer’s
specifications.
5 MANUFACTURE
A. The requirements for materials to be incorporated into the Works shall include the
following requirements:
1. The contractor shall submit to the Engineer full details of the manufacturing
process and the materials of manufacture including the source, names and
properties
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3. All material shall be marked by stamp or other marking, before dispatch from the
manufacturer, displaying the following information as a minimum (where
applicable):
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vii. Any punctures or damage to geotextile shall be made good by overlapping
with geotextile of at least 500 mm from the edge of the damaged area, or in
accordance with the manufacturer recommendation, whichever is the
greater.
viii. Geomembranes will be protected with inner and outer protection fleece –
minimum weight 300 gm/m
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4. Material shall not be stacked higher than two rows, one above the other
H. The following procedures shall be followed for dealing with damaged material:
1. Material damaged during transportation shall not be accepted and returned to the
supplier
2. Material damaged during handling and storage shall be brought to the attention
of the Engineer
3. Material showing signs of corrosion or deterioration during storage shall
immediately be treated to arrest and prevent further deterioration, or removed
from site, as the Engineer directs
4. Proposals for repair shall be submitted, in writing as a method statement, to the
Engineer for approval
5. No attempt shall be made to repair damage without the Engineer’s approval
6. If in the opinion of the Engineer, the nature of any damage or deterioration is such
that the condition of the material has been impaired and cannot be repaired, the
material concerned shall not be incorporated in the Works
7. All rejected material shall be immediately removed from the site
8. Damaged material shall be replaced or repaired by the contractor at his own
expense, and such repairs shall be to the approval of the Engineer.
8 INSTALLATION
EXCAVATION
A. Excavation shall be in accordance with the Project Specification or as directed by the
Engineer.
FOUNDATION
A. For shallow single-layered installations, the base of the excavation shall have a sand
or gravel sub-grade layer. The depth and compaction shall be based on the in situ
ground conditions
B. The sub-base (formation level) of the excavation shall provide a minimum 3 – 5%
minimum CBR
C. For deeper or multi-layered installations, the base shall be designed by a suitably
qualified person to provide sufficient structural support to the installation. For
attenuation tanks, this shall include the provision of a concrete blinding layer.
BACKFILLING
A. The method for installation (backfilling) depends on the ground conditions, water
table and whether subject to heavy loads (i.e. traffic).
1. Backfilling around structures shall be undertaken in such manner as to avoid
uneven loading or damage
2. A coarse sand protection layer, minimum 100mm thick shall be placed over the
top of the units
3. For attenuation structures, the backfill material shall consist of natural or recycled
coarse aggregate complying with BS EN 13242, maximum size 40mm
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4. For infiltration structures, the backfill material shall consist of a single size granular
material of clean crushed solid sound rock from a source approved by the
Engineer. The nominal size shall be 20 mm and the following grading limits as
follows:
BS sieve size % passing
(mm) by weight
37.5 100
20 60-90
14 0-30
10 0-20
5 -
On completion of installation, the Contractor shall carry out an infiltration test. The
test method shall be approved by the engineer and shall include: sealing the
upstream outlet pipes at the nearest chamber and filling with water to a minimum
depth of 1.5 metres. The depth of water shall be recorded each hour for the first
twelve hours of the test and subsequently at time intervals as directed by the
Engineer.
5. Backfill to be compacted in layers, maximum 150mm thick in accordance with the
specialist tank manufacturer’s recommendations. Backfill shall be compacted to
95% of maximum dry density
6. A geogrid suitable for biaxial loading shall be placed in the backfill above the top
of the structure. The geogrid shall be specified by the designer and shall be
located at a minimum distance of 250mm above the top of the tank.
9 VENTING
A. Adequate venting shall be provided to the structure. A minimum of one 110mm
internal diameter air vent shall be provided for every 7500m2 of impermeable
catchment area to be drained to the tank.
10 TESTING OF MATERIALS
A. Testing of materials shall be in accordance with Project Specifications.
B.
C. The manufacturer shall carry out testing of materials in accordance with an approved
inspection and test plan. The results of these tests shall be made available to the
Engineer who shall also be permitted to witness some or all of these tests.
D. Test certificates shall be provided to the Engineer.
E. In addition to those test specifically required, the Engineer may request additional
samples of any material for testing by the Engineer. All expenses incurred in
obtaining samples for testing shall be borne by the contractor at no additional cost to
the contract.
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F. After successful completion of the testing of the equipment the contractor must clean
all equipment and ensure that it is free of debris before handing over to the client.
11 SUBMITTALS
A. The Contractor shall submit all details and information as required by the Engineer.
B. The contractor shall obtain the Engineer’s approval before placing orders for
materials, allowing for the limits of the construction programme. The following
documents shall be submitted to the Engineer:
1. Product data
i. Geotechnical Design Report
ii. Originals of catalogues and engineering data sheets for manufactured
items. Each item and option to be provided shall be clearly marked and each
item not to be provided shall be deleted
iii. Documentation to show that products provided meet the requirements for
material, construction, operation and tests
iv. Manufacturer’s installation instructions for all items
v. Certified reports for all tests and inspections designated herein, signed and
sealed, showing full compliance with referenced standards and
Specifications
vi. Maintenance requirements and procedures
vii. Period of guarantee for materials / products.
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
A. Regular inspection and maintenance is required to ensure the effective long-term
operation of below ground modular storage systems. Maintenance requirements for
modular systems shall be based on the details given in the following table.
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outlets, vents and storms
overflows to ensure that
they are in good condition
and operating as designed
B. Maintenance plans and schedules shall be developed during the design phase.
Specific maintenance needs of the system shall be identified, and maintenance
schedules adjusted to suit requirements.
C. Maintenance activities should be detailed in the Health and Safety File and a risk
assessment should be undertaken.
MAINTENANCE MANUAL
A. A maintenance manual shall be provided for all geocellular modular tanks. This shall
include the following:
END OF SECTION
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