Trench drains have many names; channel drains, linear trench drains, trench drain systems, flooring drains, and more. Whatever you choose to call them, they are essential elements in any landscaping project, especially if your space is going to have any form of surface water.
Trench drains are a type of floor drain that has a channel-shaped body that is used for the eradication of surface water. Sometimes, they are also used to hold utility lines or to contain chemical spills in industrial applications.
In landscaping, trench drains will usually have a solid trench grate or cover that is flush with the rest of the landscape. They are long and narrow, with a gentle slope that determines the general direction of the flow of water inside them. Depending on the application and function of the trench drain, their channels can vary significantly in width.
Hardscapes are more prone to runoffs than soft landscapes because there is minimal water absorption. This is why trench drains are particularly useful for hardscape areas, especially when perimeter drains are needed. Typical areas of application include retail stores, parking lots, pools, airports, sports facilities, lawns and gardens, vehicle maintenance facilities, pavements, and spas.
That being said, can trench drains be environmentally friendly?
Trench drains can be environmentally friendly solutions when they are implemented as a form of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, or SUDS.
SUDS are systems that are designed to manage the drainage of surface water in urban spaces. They work by either slowing down or holding water in place for other natural processes to break down any pollutants in it. SUDS often provide efficient alternatives to traditional drainage systems that involve the drainage of surface water into piped underground drainage systems.
The design of most SUDS includes several connected stages. This is called the treatment train. The more likely the water is to be contaminated, the more stages the treatment train will have.
Therefore, SUDS are beneficial in many ways. They prevent water pollution, reduce the risk of flooding, and recharge underground water levels, preventing drought. Some of them also create green spaces for people and habitats for wildlife in urban areas.
There are several SUDS techniques that can be implemented, including;
Trench drains are therefore only a small part of a larger family of SUDS techniques.
Environmental trench drains should enhance the aesthetic quality of the space they are in, such as a community or urban environment, while at the same time being sustainable.
All sustainable urban drainage systems need to be first considered during the site selection process. They need to capture, use, or absorb rainwater effectively instead of rejecting it as a nuisance. In this way, they can improve the quality of life in that space by making it aesthetically pleasing, resilient and vibrant.
Being sustainable means safeguarding the needs of current users while not impeding the ability of future users to meet their needs. Environmental trench drains achieve this by mimicking natural drainage processes through techniques that help them deal with the surface water locally before releasing it back into the environment.
In their functions, they also improve urban air quality, reduce noise, regulate building temperatures, and free up space for other activities such as recreation. As the cherry on top, they are constructed with environmentally friendly materials using sustainable construction methods and are durable enough to ensure that maintenance resources are not wasted needlessly.
There are three broad types of trench drains. With minimal intervention, each of these types can be turned into environmentally friendly versions of themselves:
These are installed on-site. The channel is usually dug by hand, and the trench drain manually put in place. This makes it the most labor-intensive type of trench drain.
These are made off-site, usually in a factory that specializes in this. They come as several separate pieces, which are then transported to the site and laid in place.
A modern variation of precast drains, these systems tend to be very narrow, making use of light materials like fiberglass, plastic, steel, and polymer concrete. To lay them, you have to dig a trench then assemble the channel and the grate within that trench. Concrete will then be poured all around the layout for added structural support, forming the drain.
Your selection of trench grates will play a critical role in several things, including:
There are four main boxes that your trench drain grating and channels must check:
There are several types of sustainable drainage systems. As stated earlier, the criteria here is to align modern drainage systems with natural processes. Therefore, they often use components that mimic natural processes to integrate urban drainage systems to the site efficiently.
Here are a few examples:
Micro Channel Drains are perfect for areas that do not need a large amount of water to be drained. They are mostly used for residential applications. The trench channel will be about 1.25" wide.
Wider than the microchannel drain, they offer a larger surface area of collection. Since they are more visible, they are often customized in many ways, including patterned grates, colored grates, or grates made of unique materials such as brass or plastic. They can be used for both residential and non-residential applications. The average width of the channel is about 2.25".
Although these are similar to regular trench drains found in a large number of non-residential applications, they stand out as environmentally sound because of the type of trench grate they use. They can have various kinds of environmentally-friendly grates, along with 4” wide channels with either flat or slightly sloping bottoms.
There are several different options in this category.
In the end, if you want your trench drain to be environmentally friendly, it must meet all the safety requirements of its users along with sustainability requirements. Coming in a variety of designs that complement the visual appeal of the space they are in is just the cherry on top.