Did somebody say summer? Flood warnings have been a common occurrence since this year began. Stormwater and rain level retention pose significant threats to infrastructure and day-to-day efficiency.

Damage done by storms isn’t just on the site of the flooding but will have a knock-on effect on everything downstream. As the rainwater attempts to drain, it will flood lower-lying areas. Once these areas reach saturation, the floodwaters will cease to run off.

StormCrate is a highly effective means of managing stormwater and contributes to reducing the risk of flooding. But what makes it the best solution for doing so?

What is StormCrate?

StormCrate is a cellular stormwater attenuation crate. Attenuation is the term used to describe the reduction of a force, effect or value. This product is designed for below-ground stormwater attenuation, surface water infiltration and as a soakaway system.

Effective stormwater attenuation relies on the ability of a product to trap and store floodwaters before releasing them slowly into their natural drainage pathways.

These attenuation crates are designed to be stacked together to create a large structure below ground. This structure allows the infiltration of stormwater in the ground around them and will fill during heavy rainfall.

As a result of the design, the collected stormwater—instead of being released all at once and causing flooding—soaks away slowly into the drainage system or groundwater table over time.

While flooding of lower-lying areas usually occurs at a result of saturation, the slow release process of the StormCrate enables the ground to absorb its current water layer before the next arrives.

Soakaway vs attenuation crate

In a soakaway fixture, the system is wrapped with a permeable membrane. During rainfall, water is collected in the system and slowly soaks back into the ground at a natural rate to avoid water-logging. They are manufactured to act like an underground reservoir to collect the stormwater from persistent rain.

In an attenuation system, water is stored within the structure and with flow controls, is gradually released back into a watercourse or sewer system. StormCrates can be wrapped in a geotextile which allows stored water to slowly seep into the surrounding ground and back into the water table.

More commonly they are surrounded with an impermeable geomembrane to create a sealed underground tank. The outlet from this tank is then controlled to facilitate a slow release of the stored water back into the drainage system over a longer period.

These systems have a high void ratio of 95% which means that the units are highly efficient at storing up to 300 litres of water in the event of heavy rains. Attenuation crates also offer more control over the steady release of the water back into waterways and sewage systems when they are able to cope again.

How to install StormCrate

StormCrates are an underground system so the first step is to dig an area big enough for the required attenuation crates.

When it’s the right size, the bottom of the hole is filled with clean gravel to level up the base of the area so that the cells sit comfortably and are fully supported on their underside, and to provide a bit of extra storage capacity in the system.

After this, the hole needs to be lined with the geomembrane. The purpose is to provide a layer that prevents silts and sediments from entering the cells and lowering its storage capacity.

Flatten out the geo-textile as much as possible. Aim to have it relatively flat on the base of the hole, out of the way at the sides, and plenty of surplus that can be wrapped over the cells once they’re in place.

The design of this system means it can be quickly and easily installed. As the modules only weight 18kg each and measure 1200mm x 600mm x 420mm, they can be easily lifted and set in place by hand. The individual modules are joined using practical connectors, a very simple but effective jointing method, which allows crates to fit together quickly and with ease.

There are no limits on the use and design of the surface over the system and they can be successfully installed under parking areas, driveways and landscaped areas. This product is designed to bear weight from overhead traffic and only requires a small layer of cover to ensure efficient weight loading. This means less digging time and reduced site spoil.

StormCrate is a great attenuation solution because it’ll cut down the time and effort required on-site with less mess and quicker installation. It’s versatile for any area where the ground is able to be dug and pipework laid.

What are the benefits of StormCrate?

Extensive use of this type of attenuation module has helped relieve pressure on conventional surface water drainage systems in line with the Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) program advocated by the Environment Agency.

This system is designed to be simple. Each module can be easily carried around and moved by one person so extra labour or machinery is not required. It’s manufactured from a recyclable material that can bear the weight of up to 60 tonnes so it’s proven to be durable.

These crates have impressive water holding capabilities and each crate has a capacity to store up to 300L or 0.3m³ of stormwater. The modular nature of These crates allow the system to be scaled appropriately depending on calculated runoff requirements, so for example, 10 of these attenuation crates store 3m³ of stormwater.

With clear spacial requirements and capacity abilities, plans for installation of this attenuation system based on the environmental needs can be created fairly simply.

Where to buy StormCrate in the UK?

TBS is committed to offering our customers the best products on the market which is why we stock the StormCrate. It is our pledge to exceed expectation and offer extensive product choice, speed, quality of service and value for money.

Based on your requirements, our experienced and knowledgeable can help you through your order by listening to your personalised needs. Then we can have it to you as soon as possible with our full delivery service.

Need more information? Contact us today on 01992 622 823 or email sales@tbspoly.com