Simulation of the hydraulic performance of highway filter drains through laboratory models and stormwater management tools

Road drainage is one of the most relevant assets in transport infrastructure due to its inherent influence on traffic management and road safety. Highway filter drains (HFDs), also known as ?French Drains?, are the main drainage system currently in use in the UK, throughout 7000 km of its strategic road network. Despite being a widespread technique across the whole country, little research has been completed on their design considerations and their subsequent impact on their hydraulic performance, representing a gap in the field. Laboratory experiments have been proven to be a reliable indicator for the simulation of the hydraulic performance of stormwater best management practices (BMPs). In addition to this, stormwater management tools (SMT) have been preferentially chosen as a design tool for BMPs by practitioners from all over the world. In this context, this research aims to investigate the hydraulic performance of HFDs by comparing the results from laboratory simulation and two widely used SMT such as the US EPA?s stormwater management model (SWMM) and MicroDrainage®. Statistical analyses were applied to a series of rainfall scenarios simulated, showing a high level of accuracy between the results obtained in laboratory and using SMT as indicated by the high and low values of the Nash-Sutcliffe and R2 coefficients and root-mean-square error (RMSE) reached, which validated the usefulness of SMT to determine the hydraulic performance of HFDs.The laboratory research was part of a wider research project funded by the company Carnell Group Services Ltd. Daniel Jato-Espino’s research internship at Coventry University and its participation in the research that led to this article was jointly funded by the CAWR, Coventry University, and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the research projects RHIVU (Ref. BIA2012-32463) and SUPRIS-SUReS (Ref. BIA2015-65240-C2-1-R MINECO/FEDER, UE), financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness with funds from the State General Budget (PGE) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). A further acknowledgement to XP Solutions for providing a licence to use MicroDrainage®

Laboratory analysis of the infiltration capacity of interlocking concrete block pavements in car parks

Interlocking Concrete Block Pavements (ICBPs) have been widely used in car parks to reduce runoff. Researches have demonstrated that clogging is the most influential factor in the reduction of the infiltration capacity of this type of permeable pavement. Nevertheless, there is no laboratory study of the infiltration performance of ICBPs that combines clogging levels with variables related with the topography of car parks such as runoff surface length (RSL) and surface slope (SS). This paper studies the infiltration behaviour of ICBP during their operational life in a car park using an improved version of the Cantabrian Fixed (CF) Infiltrometer. This laboratory device simulates direct rainfall and runoff from adjacent impervious areas over an ICBPs surface of 0.25m2 for different slopes (0, 3, 5, 7 and 10%) and three scenarios of clogging (surface newly built, surface clogged and surface clogged with maintenance). This paper presents the results of the tests and a statistical analysis based on three regression models (corresponding to each clogging scenario) depending on the RSL and SS variables. All models passed a confidence level of 95%, presenting high R2 values and showing that RSL is a more influential variable than the SS for all clogging scenarios

Barrera para depósito de partículas

Barrera para depósito de partículas, para proteger vías de comunicaciones, propiciando la acumulación de nieve o arena en la zona de la barrera sobre la que azota el viento, barlovento, o en zona posterior, sin llegar a la vía; compuesta por una pluralidad de pantallas que combinan una geomalla y una red de cable, hallándose sujetas a postes anclados en el terreno.Solicitud: 200901283 (21.05.2009)Nº Pub. de Solicitud: ES2350990A1 (28.01.2011)Nº de Patente: ES2350990B1 (22.09.2011

Rehabilitación hidrológica urbana

El constante desarrollo urbano de las últimas décadas ha dado como resultado una impermeabilización masiva del suelo natural para su urbanización. Esto ha desembocado en un gran incremento de los problemas relacionados con la gestión del agua en las ciudades. Se ha realizado una revisión de la bibliografía relacionada con la potencial aplicación de Sistemas Urbanos de Drenaje Sostenible (SUDS), especialmente firmes permeables y cubiertas verdes, en procesos de rehabilitación hidrológica urbana. Se han estudiado las diferentes propiedades que estos sistemas ofrecen en la gestión hídrica de núcleos urbanos como la reducción del volumen y del caudal punta de la escorrentía superficial generada a partir de un evento de lluvia. Además se han analizado los costes asociados y los factores determinantes en su aplicación en procesos regeneración urbana. En todos los casos analizados se ha observado su efectividad para reducir el volumen y el caudal de escorrentía superficial. De las investigaciones realizadas hasta el momento, se desprende que las cualidades de estos sistemas los convierten en elementos con un gran potencial de aplicación en procesos de rehabilitación hidrológica urbana, permitiendo recuperar parte del equilibrio asociado al ciclo natural del agua

Sustainable Drainage Practices in Spain, Specially Focused on Pervious Pavements

ABSTRACT. The Spanish climate is full of contrasts, with torrential rains and long droughts; under these conditions, appropriate water management is essential. In Spain, until the end of the twentieth century, water management and legislative development lagged behind other more developed countries. Nowadays, great efforts are being made to reverse this situation and improve both water management and legislation in order to control the two main problems related to stormwater management in cities: floods and diffuse pollution. In this context, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) were developed as the main solution to these problems. The study of these techniques started in the 1970s in the USA, but they were not studied in Spain until 1993 when the University of Cantabria and CLABSA started to look into solutions for stormwater management. After 20 years of research and application, sustainable drainage in Spain is still behind other countries in spite of the efforts to change this situation, notably by the University of Cantabria with 10 years of experience in these techniques, mainly regarding pervious pavements, where more than 13 related research projects have been carried out. The future challenges focus on the application of pervious pavements for Urban Hydrological Rehabilitation

Barrera protectora de las ventiscas

Barrera protectora de las ventiscas, para instalar cerca de rutas de comunicación con el objeto de evitar la acumulación de la nieve o arena en la vía. La barrera se constituye por la unión de varias pantallas formadas por un conjunto de lamas que se colocarán en sentido horizontal, superpuestas entre sí a distancias regulares, vinculadas con postes verticales mediante el anclaje de sus extremos a unas placas rectangulares que se introducen en el poste vertical por un anillo que presenta la placa.Solicitud: 200803250 (10.11.2008)Nº Pub. de Solicitud: ES2341211A1 (16.06.2010)Nº de Patente: ES2341211B1 (14.02.2011

Classification and comparison of snow fences for the protection of transport infrastructures

Blowing snow or sand transport generates serious problems such as transport infrastructures buried under snow or sand in many parts of the world. Some of the most important problems that snow and sand storms can cause include drivers getting trapped on the roads, traffic being held up indefinitely, accidents occurring and populations being isolated. Snow fences provide a solution to this problem as they can hold back the snow, preventing displacement and wind-induced drifting. In this way, they reduce these problems on transport infrastructures and improve visibility, providing safer driving conditions. In this review, a classification is proposed of snow fences based on three basic types: earth, structural and living snow fences. Among the structural ones, non-porous and porous snow fences are distinguished. The different possibilities in terms of the placement of snow fences are also analyzed. Finally, different types of snow fences have been compared under design, construction and operation criteria. This review can provide initial guidelines for technicians to choose the best snow fence for blizzard conditions