Sustainable Drainage Systems Advantages – Hydrorock Natural Aquifer SuDS
For developers, planners, engineers, designers and builders, managing precious onsite water levels in urban areas is essential for the environment to prevent flooding and drought, but can be a huge difficulty. Hydrorock is an aquifer, a highly innovative sustainable drainage system (SuDS) which works to manage onsite rainwater and surface runoff effectively, ensuring water is dispersed across the whole site, with its unique fast absorbency, buffering ability, infiltration rate and water retention capacity. Hydrorock also filters surface runoff, capturing and dissolving pollutants to prevent them entering the soil and water courses.
Whilst offering an intelligent and unique solution to manage onsite water, this system offers a multitude of design, usage, environmental and significant cost benefits.
Benefits of an aquifer water management system?
Totally green
- Made from 100% natural rock and is 100% recyclable
- Prevents soil dehydration/ super saturation
- Aids soil condition and integrity, whilst also helping plants and wildlife
- Uses precious water resource more efficiently
- Enables the use of other green initiatives such as Green Rooves and Sponge cities
Full functionality and fully functioning
A very effective system which is customised and purpose built
Works 100% of the time, properly
Filtration benefits of Hydrorock Aquifer SuDS?
Filters rainwater & road surface runoff
- Mineral wool material naturally captures pollutants, greatly reducing amount entering the soil & water courses
Dissolves chemical contaminants
- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) resulting from thermal decomposition caused by vehicle exhausts
Hydrorock Aquifer SuDS filters metals and solid particulate matter
- Metals such as zinc / copper and particles from brakes / tyres
Natural material
- Particles of silt and sand over 40 microns in size are prevented from entering the Hydrorock Aquifer Block
Read more about how Hydrorock Aquifer SuDS filters surface runoff here
Benefits of a modular system constructed from Hydrorock Aquifer Blocks?
Decentralised system
- Capable of disaggregation but retaining total connectivity through Blocks/ Modules/ Arrays
- Increases area of optimal soil water balance
Forms a unitary aquifer system
Module internal circulation system
Fast and efficient filling and absorbency
Non-disruptive cleaning
Scalable (from a flower bed to an airport runway)
Increasing capacity/ dispersal improves infiltration rate
Versatility and flexibility benefits?
In functionality
- Can be used for drainage of groundwater, buffering of runoff, harvesting of rainfall and runoff, infiltration and irrigation
- Can be used in new buildings, green environmental schemes, horticulture, new drainage and irrigation, leisure spaces, existing sewer relief, existing roof guttering, existing sump augmentation, existing sump remediation, existing Sump replacement and Green Roofing
In configuration
- Completely scalable
- Unlimited arrangement of modules and arrays
- Vented and self-venting systems
- Accommodates existing infrastructure and immovable obstacles (can go around corners and over/under and around pipes)
- Directional drainage and irrigation
- Can work for difficult projects with restricted spaces/ access and poor conditions
In installation
- Minimise hole size and spoil
- Enables simultaneous excavation and backfill
- Simple and fast, and only requires a plug and play
- Difficult sites
- Minimises project site/local disruption
- Load bearing integrity (up to 4,000 kg per m2)
Multi-functional membrane benefits?
Hydrorock Aquifer Blocks are available for immediate use
- Makes handling easier
- Ensures faster installation
- Protects against handling damage
Resistant
- Remains in optimal condition protecting integrity underground
- Prevents incursion of sand, soil or other materials
- Ensures efficiency in life-long operation
- Protects against plant or tree root damage
- Treatable wholly/ in-part for directional drainage or irrigation
Design benefits?
Efficient water permeable substrate aquifer
- Acts as a sponge/ reservoir/ watering can
- Fast absorbency and release
- Porosity better than existing soil which aids infiltration and percolation
Water held in suspension
- Hydrorock Aquifer Blocks absorb and hold 94% of their volume
- Very low hydrostatic pressure on base which allows infiltration from the bottom of the Hydrorock Aquifer Block
- Prevents soil saturation
Directional fibres
- The direction of the fibre determines the usage
- Fibres are aligned vertically for buffering and infiltration
- Fibres are aligned horizontally for drainage so that no slope is needed
- Multi directional fibre for artificial sports pitch and Green Roof
Cost benefits?
Installed fully loaded cost is at least 20% less than alternatives
No ongoing life cycle costs of inspections, maintenance etc.
Talk to Hydrorock Solutions
Our Hydrorock Solutions team will help you find an effective, sustainable water management system for your project. We support you from design right through to installation.
Contact Details
Hydrorock Solutions Ltd
Beale Farm
High Halden
Ashford
Kent TN26 3HZ