Tarmac installed a rainwater storage solution at the University of Reading, reducing pressure on the existing storm water system.
The University of Reading required a cost-effective alternative to permeable block paving that could deal with the drainage challenges of the site. This included an open drainage basin, low infiltration rates and minimal falls across the site.
The final design worked with the natural topography of the site to channel the rainwater down through the porous asphalt surface and into the granular reservoir layer.
Once within this aggregate layer, water flows to the lowest point in the system and into the open drainage basin. During a peak storm event, the basin is designed to overflow into one of the existing drainage channels on campus. This approach was more cost-effective than the alternative of re-engineering the existing conventional drainage system.
The system is also classed as a shallow construction technique reducing the volumes of materials excavated and removed from site, which reduced transport requirements.
Research undertaken by Coventry University has demonstrated that any surface water pollutants are effectively retained by the system layers, thereby discharging cleaner water.
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