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Car park drainage for public spaces, multi-storeys & undergrounds

Car parks, multi-storeys and underground parking facilities are an essential component of transport infrastructure. These types of surface areas are heavily trafficked every day by a wide variety of vehicles within residential, retail, public and commercial sectors.

The specified car park drainage systems must account for the frequency of traffic, as well as pedestrian safety. Multi-storeys and underground parking facilities also need to take into consideration the protection of the building’s fabrication.

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Drainage systems for car parks

There is a range of requirements for channel drainage within parking areas. Heavy or frequent traffic imposing high loads, dynamic forces, corrosive substances and installation depth restrictions are just some of the factors that need to be considered.

Car park drainage needs to consider the following factors:

Load and forces

Vehicles exert significant loads, dynamic forces and stress on surfaces when braking, turning, reversing and accelerating. The car park drainage channel must be robust to withstand a variety of loads and forces, including vertical and lateral ones over a long period of time.

Pedestrian safety

A safe environment for pedestrians requires secure systems with anti-slip surfaces and heelsafe gratings. Incorporating these features within the overall project will provide safety and design flexibility.

Climate changes

Drainage systems must be resistant to frost, de-icing salts and UV radiation to ensure longevity and low-maintenance costs.

Extensive surfaces

For larger catchment areas, it’s often more cost-effective to choose a car park drainage solution with a higher drainage and retention capacity. Precise and accurate hydraulic calculations will help determine the correct channel sizing and drainage system for the project under design.

Contamination

Tyre wear, brake dust, fuel hydrocarbons, as well as other contaminants like petrol, oil, zinc and copper can be found on parking surfaces. These pollutants can enter local sewer systems or natural watercourses. A rainwater treatment channel can collect and treat surface water at the source before being released.

Theft and vandalism

Having a parking drainage system with multiple bolt connections or anti-vandal locking handles can protect the gratings from vandalism and theft.

RECYFIX MONOTEC installed at North Tees Hospital
RECYFIX NC installed at Fox Valley Retail Park
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Surface drainage for underground parking areas

Entrance to underground car park

The presence of surface water in underground parking areas can come from numerous sources. For example, rainwater or snow can be carried in from vehicles, water from testing fire sprinklers, inadequate damp-proofing or poor ramp drainage.

It can also depend upon the following factors:

  • The number of vehicle movements per day

  • The size of the vehicles and the underground parking space

  • The time of year and the length of the routes (e.g. across several levels)

  • Hydraulic performance – without an accurate hydraulic calculation and a reliable drainage system, it could increase the risk of damage to the building’s structure.

Additional challenges for underground parking:

Loads and forces:

Turning tightly around columns, ramps and small parking spaces imposes significant loads, stress and forces on the system and adjacent surface. Linear drainage across ramps is subject to high impact loads when trafficked.

Corrosive environments:

Parking surfaces and channel gratings are subject to continual attack by corrosive substances including oil, petrol, brake fluid, cleaning detergents and de-icing salts. Therefore, the drainage solution must be durable and corrosion-resistant.

Installation depth restrictions:

Floor structures within underground car parks, often have limited depth available for installation of surface drainage above damp-proof membranes. If there are depth restrictions, linear drainage systems will need to have shallow inverts.

High surface water run-off:

Due to the steep incline of underground ramps, surface water flows more quickly. The channel system gratings should be selected for an efficient interception to avoid surface water crossing over drainage channels.

Odvodnja garažnih rampi
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Multi-storey car park drainage

Multi-storey car park exterior

When considering surface drainage for multi-storeys, a distinction must be made between the exterior and interior. Some of the challenges for multi-storey car park drainage are consequently similar to underground parking. For example; snow accumulation by exit and entrance ramps and the protection of the building fabrication. However, the exterior of a multi-storey car park covers a larger surface area that will predominantly be more exposed to climate change.

FASERFIX KS car park drainage for top of car park level at Korona Shopping Centre

Challenges for multi-storey parking include:

  • Corrosive environments

  • High surface water run-off

  • Installation depth restrictions

  • Consideration of fire protection

  • Mechanical stress

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Drainage channels for car parks, multi-storeys and underground parking

The following solutions from HAURATON are recommended for safe and reliable surface drainage in parking areas:

Product illustration of a RECYFIX PRO drainage channel
Product illustration of a RECYFIX PLUS drainage channel
Product illustration of a RECYFIX MONOTEC drainage channel
Product Illustration of RECYFIX NC drainage channel
Product illustration of FASERFIX KS
Product illustration of a RECYFIX HICAP
Product illustration of DRAINFIX CLEAN
RECYFIX PRO
RECYFIX PLUS
RECYFIX MONOTEC
RECYFIX NC
FASERFIX KS
RECYFIX HICAP F
DRAINFIX CLEAN
Corrosion-free drainage system for commercial and public areas.
Durable drainage channel with a protective edge rail.
Monolithic drainage system for areas with frequent traffic.
High performance reinforced polypropylene channel.
Shallow channels for depth restricted multi-storey car parks.
High capacity slot drainage channel for areas with extreme loads & dynamics.
Rainwater treatment for traffic areas.
Load class according to EN 1433
Load class according to EN 1433
up to D 400
up to D 400
up to D 400
up to E 600
up to F 900
up to F 900
up to F 900
Load frequency
Load frequency
Load dynamics
Load dynamics
Nominal width | System size
Nominal width | System size
100, 150, 200, 300
100, 150, 200, 300
100 & 200
100, 150, 200, 300, 400
100, 150, 200, 300
1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 8000, 10000
300 – 500
Materials of the lower parts
Materials of the lower parts
Polypropylene (PP), 100 % recycled composite
Polypropylene (PP), 100 % recycled composite
Modified polypropylene
Modified polypropylene (PP), 100 % recycled composite
Fibre-reinforced concrete
Fiber-reinforced concrete or polypropylene (PP)
Angle housing
Angle housing

Composite frame 20 x 20 mm insertion depth

Integrated edge rail made of galvanised or stainless steel

Moulded as an integral part of the channel body

Galvanised or stainless steel frame with 20 x 20 mm insertion depth

Depending on the version with FASERFIX or RECYFIX:
Galvanised steel or cast iron frame with 40 x 40 mm insertion depth

Grating variants
Grating variants

– Longitudinal bar grating
– GUGI design gratings
– Mesh gratings
– FIBRETEC and METROPOLIS design gratings
⇒ Made of ductile iron, plastic, galvanised steel, stainless steel

– Perforated gratings
– Mesh gratings
– GUGI design gratings
⇒ Made of ductile iron, galvanised steel, stainless steel

Integrated award-winning FIBRETEC heelsafe design

Ductile iron

– Design gratings FIBRETEC and METROPOLIS
– Perforated gratings
– GUGI mesh gratings
– Mesh gratings
– Longitudinal bar gratings
⇒ Made of ductile iron, composite, galvanised or stainless steel

Retained ductile iron slotted top

Ductile iron grating

Special characteristics
Special characteristics

– Pre-assembled ready for installation
– Low weight, easy to handle and install
– Channel body can be easily machined, cut to size on-site

– Pre-assembled ready for installation
– Low weight
– Steel edge rail enables straight edge of tarmacked surfaces
– Channel body made of polypropylene can be easily machined, cut, drilled on-site

– Large retention volume despite slim channel design
– Monolithic drainage channel
– Vandalism-proof
– Easy cleaning via the inspection box

– Channel and cover = one component
– Self-centring screw –> automatically finds the correct position
– Polypropylene channel body can be easily machined on site

– SIDE-LOCK, boltless locking system
– Optional bar and bolt fixing per grating

– Radial installations possible
– Large channels for retention
– Channel run without slotted top achievable, for example, under planted areas
– Cable installations can be threaded though throat voids of the channel

– Rainwater treatment by surface filtration
– DIBt approval
– Proprietary treatment system: CIRIA SuDS Manual C753 chapter 14

Gradient
Gradient

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

– Constant depth
– Built-in fall
– Stepped fall

– Constant depth
– Stepped fall

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