Inspection access chamber reduces installation costs at Largs

CLEVEDON, UK, July 4, 2007 -- High average local rainfall at Largs in North Ayrshire presented a challenge when building a 150-bay car park at a new community resource center. But attenuation of significant surface runoff from the car park was achieved with significant cost savings by installing Hydro International's Stormbloc® modular storage system with the new Stormbloc® Inspect access chamber and a Hydro-Brake® Flow Control device.

North Ayrshire Council is building the center to provide regional location for health care, social services and other community benefits. With an average annual rainfall of nearly 1000 mm, installing the car park for the new North West Ayrshire Resource Center could have created significant runoff problems.

Local planning imposed a discharge limit of 5 liters/sec for the car park and the original plan was to achieve this with a modular storage cell solution sited under the car park. However, Joe Smith, Network Manager at North Ayrshire Council's Road Services, was able to suggest a modification to the original plans with significant savings potential.

"By installing Hydro's Stormbloc infiltration and storage solution in three separate tanks, we were able to save on the capital and installation costs," comments Joe. "Stormbloc has an integral inspection channel built into the modular block system, and we were able to use the new Stormbloc Inspect access chamber to provide two inspection points at each location.

"Stormbloc Inspect costs less than conventional inspection arrangements, and allows easy access for inspection and any cleaning or jetting that may be required, lowering maintenance requirements in the long term."

The new North West Ayrshire Resource Center is scheduled for completion in June 2008, to supplement the services of the existing Day Hospital (temporarily relocated to Brooksby House) and the Moorburn Road Community Clinic.

By introducing the new Stormbloc Inspect variable height inspection and access chamber in the Stormbloc module format, Hydro provides integrated inlet, inspection, maintenance and access as part of the system, minimizing additional costs for manholes and installation. The new Stormbloc Inspect unit also makes it easier for stormwater attenuation and infiltration systems to meet invert requirements no matter where they are sited.

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