Post-Katrina Office Project Includes Special Emphasis on Stormwater Management
Richard Vanek, president of Highway Municipal Industrial Materials Inc. (HMIM), has experienced firsthand the devastating effects of uncontrolled stormwater. HMIM, which offers a broad range of large-scale public works products and services, including sewer rehabilitation, water systems, drainage solutions, treatment plants, and lift stations, is located in Mandeville, LA, near the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain and due north of New Orleans. The company, like thousands of others in towns and cities throughout southeastern Louisiana, was caught directly in the path of Hurricane Katrina.
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| A section of the project’s 720 linear feet of ditch |
As the massive reconstruction of New Orleans and surrounding areas continues, HMIM set out to develop a new office and warehouse complex for its operations. Not surprisingly, Vanek and his executive team paid special attention to identifying a drainage system that would effectively move large volumes of water away from the buildings, parking lots, and storage areas.
The new HMIM complex is located along Highway 59 and adjacent to a strip mall and private residences. HMIM considered a number of drainage solutions, including pipe, but ultimately rejected these systems due to the costs and complexity of installation, durability concerns, and long-term maintenance requirements.
To ensure that water from the HMIM property is conveyed into the parish drainage ditches along Highway 59, HMIM designed a comprehensive perimeter drainage system. Along the side and back property lines, 12-inch-deep trapezoidal-design sections of the SmartDitch HDPE channel system were installed. The SmartDitch system, manufactured by Penda Corp., is designed for use within a new ditch or as a permanent, maintenance-free lining for existing concrete installations. Among the primary reasons for HMIM’s selection of SmartDitch were the system’s superior flow characteristics (0.022 Manning’s “n” coefficient), stable channel design (to prevent erosion), abrasion resistance, and the overall durability and reduced maintenance associated with the HDPE material.
 |
 |
| The new HMIM system ensures that
water is drained away effectively. |
SmartDitch is offered in trapezoidal (12-inch and 24-inch depths) and semi-circular (24-inch depth) designs. The lightweight sections can be stacked for shipping and storage and are easily installed onsite. The semi-circular design also can be used above ground (with optional saddles) for temporary flow diversion.
The hydraulic characteristics of SmartDitch remain constant over time, providing maximum drainage over the life of the system. The polyethylene material withstands abrasive flows, corrosion, and chemicals. SmartDitch also prevents unwanted vegetation and provides a self-scouring action that minimizes silt buildup.
Project Results
The low-profile, 12-inch-deep SmartDitch sections allow water to run off from parking lots, storage areas, and surrounding land while preventing runoff into adjacent properties. Flow from the rear and side sections drains into a lined channel along Highway 59 at the front of the complex. This channel has approximately 120 linear feet of 24-inch-deep, trapezoid-shaped SmartDitch sections engineered to minimize erosion during peak flows, keep the ditches clear of unwanted vegetation, and reduce maintenance.
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The installation of the approximately 720 linear feet of SmartDitch (including about 600 linear feet along the property sides and back), along with additional landscaping, was accomplished in a matter of days. The system was laid in the native, sandy soil without the need for additional backfill. Excavation was performed by a single small trackhoe, and installation required two additional laborers. The SmartDitch sections were laid up to an existing culvert headwall, where a 24-inch corrugated metal pipe integrated the system into the existing parish drainage infrastructure.
Since the installation, several significant rain events have occurred; stormwater has quickly and effectively drained from the property without signs of erosion or other complications.
October 2007
Post-Katrina Office Project Includes Special Emphasis on Stormwater Management
Richard Vanek, president of Highway Municipal Industrial Materials Inc. (HMIM), has experienced firsthand the devastating effects of uncontrolled stormwater. HMIM, which offers a broad range of large-scale public works products and services, including sewer rehabilitation, water systems, drainage solutions, treatment plants, and lift stations, is located in Mandeville, LA, near the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain and due north of New Orleans. The company, like thousands of others in towns and cities throughout southeastern Louisiana, was caught directly in the path of Hurricane Katrina.
|
| A section of the project’s 720 linear feet of ditch |
As the massive reconstruction of New Orleans and surrounding areas continues, HMIM set out to develop a new office and warehouse complex for its operations. Not surprisingly, Vanek and his executive team paid special attention to identifying a drainage system that would effectively move large volumes of water away from the buildings, parking lots, and storage areas.
The new HMIM complex is located along Highway 59 and adjacent to a strip mall and private residences. HMIM considered a number of drainage solutions, including pipe, but ultimately rejected these systems due to the costs and complexity of installation, durability concerns, and long-term maintenance requirements.
To ensure that water from the HMIM property is conveyed into the parish drainage ditches along Highway 59, HMIM designed a comprehensive perimeter drainage system. Along the side and back property lines, 12-inch-deep trapezoidal-design sections of the SmartDitch HDPE channel system were installed. The SmartDitch system, manufactured by Penda Corp., is designed for use within a new ditch or as a permanent, maintenance-free lining for existing concrete installations. Among the primary reasons for HMIM’s selection of SmartDitch were the system’s superior flow characteristics (0.022 Manning’s “n” coefficient), stable channel design (to prevent erosion), abrasion resistance, and the overall durability and reduced maintenance associated with the HDPE material.
|
|
| The new HMIM system ensures that
water is drained away effectively. |
SmartDitch is offered in trapezoidal (12-inch and 24-inch depths) and semi-circular (24-inch depth) designs. The lightweight sections can be stacked for shipping and storage and are easily installed onsite. The semi-circular design also can be used above ground (with optional saddles) for temporary flow diversion.
The hydraulic characteristics of SmartDitch remain constant over time, providing maximum drainage over the life of the system. The polyethylene material withstands abrasive flows, corrosion, and chemicals. SmartDitch also prevents unwanted vegetation and provides a self-scouring action that minimizes silt buildup.
Project Results
The low-profile, 12-inch-deep SmartDitch sections allow water to run off from parking lots, storage areas, and surrounding land while preventing runoff into adjacent properties. Flow from the rear and side sections drains into a lined channel along Highway 59 at the front of the complex. This channel has approximately 120 linear feet of 24-inch-deep, trapezoid-shaped SmartDitch sections engineered to minimize erosion during peak flows, keep the ditches clear of unwanted vegetation, and reduce maintenance.
The installation of the approximately 720 linear feet of SmartDitch (including about 600 linear feet along the property sides and back), along with additional landscaping, was accomplished in a matter of days. The system was laid in the native, sandy soil without the need for additional backfill. Excavation was performed by a single small trackhoe, and installation required two additional laborers. The SmartDitch sections were laid up to an existing culvert headwall, where a 24-inch corrugated metal pipe integrated the system into the existing parish drainage infrastructure.
Since the installation, several significant rain events have occurred; stormwater has quickly and effectively drained from the property without signs of erosion or other complications.