Ellen Stirling Primary School - ProTank®

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Ellen Stirling Primary School is located in Ellenbrook, a north-eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. The state government recently funded completion of a brand new carpark for the school.  Works included clearing and removal of the existing carpark, installation of a stormwater infiltration system, laying the new carpark and completing the area with landscaping and new trees.

PROBLEM

The specified arch system for the car park required extensive excavation and disposal of soil, a large volume of aggregate and a larger footprint for installation were also required. It is imperative that a safe carpark has an effective drainage design. When constructing a carpark, being aware of the hazards that can negatively impact users and vehicles can help create a better facility. For architects and designers, knowing the potential risks in these types of commercial spaces improves not only the end result but ensures surface longevity and better maintenance outcomes down the road.  Installing a drainage system suited to the project’s requirements and site conditions is the best way to prevent water ponding and slip hazards in any carpark construction.

SOLUTION

ProTank was chosen to be supplied and installed.  ProTank offered the following benefits over the arch system, including:

• Required significantly less excavation, approx. 35% for this project.

• Modules are simple to deploy, no crane or excavator required for the installation

• ‘Flat pack’ & lightweight for transport efficiencies

• Eliminates the requirement for aggregate coverage over the modules

• Instant available storage volume

• Australian designed & owned

• Provides net storage volume rather than an assumption of 40% void ratio for aggregate used in the specification. There are studies showing soil porosity for “Well graded gravel, sandy gravel, with little or no fines” can be as low as 26% -and these figures are uncompacted!- This means the real storage volume of the arch system could be well below requirements, increasing the risk of flooding in a 1% AEP rainfall event.

RESULTS

Global Synthetics drainage products are well-suited to large-scale carpark projects and help designers keep pavements level.

A ProTank infiltration system was designed and proposed to the contractor with solutions for inspection and maintenance.

ProTank was supplied and installed within the projected timeframe, saving the contractor valuable time and money.