Introducing Hydraulic Modelling Guidance for GreenBlue Stormwater Solutions

GreenBlue Urban are pleased to announce the release of our new Hydraulic Modelling Guidance – MicroDrainage Guide in association with McCloy Consulting.

We would like to thank the authors of this document and extend our gratitude to Michael Rea; Paul Singleton and to the Project Manager, Anthony McCloy.

This document has been created to provide technical guidance when incorporating GreenBlue Urban SuDS Products into installations within the MicroDrainage Hydraulic Modelling Software, created by Innovyze.

The Innovyze drainage software, MicroDrainage, is an advanced design that optimises the performance and effectiveness of drainage systems; including SuDs for both greenfield and retrofit. It has been made possible to represent GreenBlue Urban’s HydroPlanter and ArborFlow Treepit System in several MicroDrainage modules including the following: Network, Source Control and MDSuDS. The Hydraulic Modelling guidance document has been based upon ‘MicroDrainage 2019.1’ version of the software.

Typical ArborFlow SuDS Tree Pit

MicroDrainage was first created in 1983 and uses a range of fully integrated modules, developed for the design and modelling of surface water. The modules can be used in isolation or combined with other modules for additional integrated functionality. The modules deliver high quality, compliant designs and reports that can be used by consultants, engineers, authorizing bodies and environmental agencies. This powerful software can handle projects ranging in various sizes. The software also allows planners and engineers to directly elucidate water in a sustainable manner before it reaches our watercourses, dealing with water quality, biodiversity, and amenities as well as a 1 in 100-year rainfall event.

GreenBlue Urban have two products that are designed to incorporate SUDS features into designs. The first being our Arborflow Tree Pit System that has been developed as an effective and environmentally robust means of managing surface water run-off. Ideal for use in urban areas where space is at a premium, ArborFlow markedly reduces the velocity and flow rate of surface water run-off in urban areas. Designed for a given catchment area it can contribute towards meeting the discharge rates allowed and set by regulatory authorities.

 

HydroPlanter Visualisation

The second product is a newly launched HydroPlanter. This is a ‘plug and play’ sustainable urban drainage solution (SUDs) that can attenuate and cleanse stormwater and provide amenity and biodiversity to new and existing spaces. The modules will be filled with a particular soil specification and planted wildflowers and biodiverse grasses. The concept is flexible, scalable and each unit stacks together to be a convenient solution that any subcontractor can work with and install. Installation is fast, simple and offers significant savings to alternative methods. The modular characteristics with pre-calculated hydrological performance statistics mean that specification and design is very simple for any given catchment area.

This document illustrates how both products can be integrated into bespoke schemes, though tree pit Modelling methodologies as well as technical data and dimensions. The data is portrayed through a variety of CAD/BIM drawings to allow the reader to easily identify structural layouts and visualise the product in situ. Each product has been sectioned out methodically to segment into components from aggregates and their outflow rate. Also covered are different porosity rates in the drainage layer, Inflow and interception losses, and storage rates alongside GreenBlue Urban’s Rootspace and the modelling interception storage as an attenuation system. Follow the document through a step by step visual guide on how to use the Software.

Typical SuDS ArborFlow Tree Pit Installation

We welcome all industry professionals and drainage experts to download and refer to this document alongside the MicroDrainage Software when specifying GreenBlue Urban products as a SUDS system.

We would appreciate your feedback and look forward to hearing how individual schemes proceed when using the Hydraulic Modelling Guidance – MicroDrainage Guide as a key resource.