Design Services
For further information on our areas of expertise please click the links below... Suds Contaminated Land Greenroofs
SUSTAINABLE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS (SUDS) DESIGN SERVICE Our pioneering approach to SUDS design substantiates not only our comprehensive technical expertise, but also our practical expertise: our design team comprises two of the authors of CIRIA's C609 Technical guidance for Sustainable drainage systems - Hydraulic, structural and water quality advice. It is our opinion that critical to the success of a project-specific SUDS solution is the undertaking of a thorough site investigation and risk assessment that focuses on technical, public and stakeholder needs. Our philosophy of integrating a range of disciplines ensures that our SUDS designs achieve optimum benefits for all parties involved in the development. Our design objectives take into consideration: •  Site characteristics •  Allowable discharge rates and flooding criteria •  Groundwater protection •  Geological influences •  Environmental issues •  Nature of the application •  Aesthetic requirements •  Maintenance implications Our experience of designing SUDS schemes incorporating a variety of management train techniques are demonstrated in the following successfully completed schemes. Springfields East Midlands Airport Leicester City Council The impact of development on the natural water environment has contributed to the frequency of localised flooding within the UK. In response, the government has introduced guidance such as planning policy guidance note PPG 25 and a revision of Building Regulations as a means of tackling the changes required in the planning process concerning site drainage. The development and implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) is a positive step in assisting these changes: it is a drainage concept that emulates natural drainage patterns and its purpose is to reduce the impact development has on the flooding and pollution of water courses such as rivers, streams, etc. BACK TO TOP CONTAMINATED LAND DESIGN SERVICE The unique blend of expertise within EPG enables the company to provide clients with innovative design solutions for the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated land. Our aim is to help clients achieve commercial viability for brownfield redevelopment schemes through the provision of project-specific designs that incorporate cost effective, innovative technological solutions. Effective designs require the consideration of a variety of factors; including technical suitability of the treatment for specific contaminants and its ability to conform to the required performance specification. Our capability portfolio includes: •  Preliminary site investigation •  Detailed site investigation •  Leading edge design solutions •  Interpretation Brownfield redevelopment is rapidly gaining momentum due to the UK government initiative of constructing 60% of new dwellings on ‘brownfield' sites by 2008 and an awareness of the need to make better use of vacant and derelict land surrounding communities in order to increase environmental sustainability and decrease housing shortfalls. Each area of previously developed land will comprise unique site characteristics and therefore the developer will incur additional costs compared to those for greenfield land. BACK TO TOP GREEN ROOF DESIGN SERVICE The positive contribution green roofs can make to SUDS is being recognised within the UK due to their wide use in some European countries; developed sites generate a significant proportion of runoff from roof tops. Integrating a green roof within a sustainable drainage system can reduce the requirement for other storage techniques such as ponds or tanks. Green roofs provide a range of alternative environmental benefits: extends the life of roof waterproofing, increases energy efficiency, improves sound adsorption and replaces the wildlife habitat lost to development. An extensive green roof is the most common type. As it is complex in structure a green roof design give careful consideration to the following aspects: Plants – Chosen for their ability to survive harsh conditions on the roof and can be selected to enhance local biodiversity. Growing medium – A specialist lightweight medium that will provide nutrient to plants, hold some water and allow water to percolate to the underlying drainage layer. The thickness and type of medium is closely related to the type of plants used. Filter material – A geotextile to prevent contamination of the drainage layer by the growing medium. Its performance within the green roof environment will determine the specification. Drainage layer – Must have sufficient capacity to allow excess water to drain from the roof and keep the growing medium aerated. Root barrier – Robust enough to prevent root damage to the underlying water proof membrane The Environmental Protection Group has developed a design methodology based on incorporating the effect of a green roof within a sustainable drainage design. BACK TO TOP