Introduction
Houston, Texas is American’s fourth most populous city and bursting with educational opportunities. The nine-county area of Houston is home to more than 60 school districts and nearly 200 private schools. Saint Thomas Episcopal School (K-12) located in the southwest corner of Houston was looking to achieve stormwater storage goals. However, installing such systems without disrupting school operations presents its own unique challenges.
The Engineer of Record was seeking a stormwater storage solution that could expeditiously address the challenges for their client and meet specific volume requirements. Construction on school properties, regardless of type, is inherently difficult due to the limited time available for improvements on an active campus. This meant the solution had to be simplified, keeping the installation on schedule while effectively meeting the stormwater requirements.
Solution
The lead engineering firm collaborated with Bio Clean’s engineering team to size the UrbanPond® stormwater storage system. The UrbanPond gives designers a variety of benefits to reach their stormwater goals. Its unique square tessellation assembly has remarkable strength and material efficiency; and the precast form allows systems to be buried deeper, saving costs in three major areas.
UrbanPond allows owners and designers to avoid:
- Specialized backfill
- Increased wall thicknesses
- Extra rebar reinforcement
Each of these UrbanPond advantages account for design, production, and installation cost-savings. To meet the 43,632 cu. ft. storage requirement, Bio Clean’s in-house engineers sized three systems using twenty-nine 8’x8’x7’ perimeter modules and seventy-six 8’x8’x7’ interior modules.
UrbanPond is known for efficient delivery and installation. For this project, UrbanPond modules were delivered 3 per truck, which were then set directly on a slab. Once the modules were placed, no special backfill was needed which ultimately sped up the installation process. The school, general contractor, and sub-contractor were all pleased with the simplicity and rate of installation given site constraints and the limited timeframe before students returned from summer break.
Conclusion
Implementing stormwater storage shouldn’t disrupt an organization’s operations or take up valuable land. St Thomas in Houston, Texas, is an excellent example of delivering a proficient stormwater management system in a timely manner without sacrificing real estate. Now that the school is back in session, the property provides education above ground, while managing runoff and meeting stormwater volume requirements below.
Editor's Note: Scranton Gillette Communications and the SGC Water Group are not liable for the accuracy, efficacy and validity of the claims made in this piece. The views expressed in this content do not reflect the position of the editorial teams of Water & Wastes Digest, Water Quality Products and Storm Water Solutions.
