Reasons why ACO’s TraffikDrain is an industry leading road surface drainage system
A highly efficient, compliant, and fit for purposed road drainage system, ACO’s TraffikDrain is even acknowledged in “Austroads Guide to Road Design Part 5a: Drainage” as the leading practical solution when required to control width of gutter flow through the drain’s continuous capture inlets.
TraffikDrain combines the benefits of Polycrete® Channels with a choice of iron Hi-Flow, Transverse grates or Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grate. Each grate is purpose designed to minimise ponding and other dangers for road users and are secured with the PowerLok® boltless locking mechanism that enables quick and easy access for maintenance operations. The iron Hi-Flo and Transverse grates provides maximum water intake. This ensures quick and efficient water removal from the road surface. The Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grate ensures pedestrian safety in areas that experience regular foot traffic.
ACO’s TraffikDrain is widely regarded as a drain for roads and well suited for projects that require:
- Provision of continuous capture inlets
- Prevention of aquaplaning, property damage, and water splashing on to pedestrians
- Containment of toxins and fuel spills in environmentally sensitive areas.
The areas of application that ACO’s TraffikDrain is most commonly used are:
- Motorways and highways
- Streetscapes with shared zones for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles
- Busways, bus stops and railway interchanges
- Bridge abutments and tunnel portals
- Media strips
- Right hand turn bays
- Kerbside Gutters
TraffikDrain is well suited to applications where traditional drainage designs such as kerb inlet pits are inadequate, namely:
- Flat pavements and road surfaces
- Restricted road shoulders
- Limited space due to underground services
What makes the ACO TraffikDrain so unique?
ACO’s TraffikDrain is industry-recommended for the vast array of features it has to offer.
‘V’ Profile Channels – Superior to the ‘U’ profiled channels, ‘V’ profile channels promote higher velocities during minor storm events and result in a more hydraulically efficient drain.
Sloped Channel – Metre long lengths provide 40 metres of continuous (0.5%) slope that equates to 5mm of built-in fall per metre. Five neutral channel depths are available to extend run length.
Polymer Concrete – ACO’s first choice material for its durable and lightweight elements. It’s made from a polyester resin binder and reinforced by mineral aggregates and fillers.
Profiled Side Walls – Channel body strength and mechanical keying to concrete encasement.
Ductile Iron Edge Rail – Integrally cast-in rail provides maximum strength and protection for channel body.
SF Sealant Groove – SF Sealant Groove is cast into both ends of the channel that allows for a bead of flexible sealant to be applied at the channel joints. The sealant ensures contaminated water does not infiltrate and damage environmentally sensitive areas.
For more information on see top reasons for choosing commercial trench drain systems.
TraffikDrain Grates
All of ACO’s TraffikDrain grates are specifically designed to meet all road regulations and requirements. Specifically they comply to Australian Standard requirements including:
- AS 3996 Access Covers and Grates – All grates are rated to load class D210kN (8 tonnes) and are bicycle wheel compliant in all directions.
- AS 1831 Ductile Cast iron – Manufactured from ductile iron Grade 500/7.
Further to the requirements of the Australian Standards, ACO’s TraffikDrain contains anti-shunt provisions to prevent dynamic wheel loads causing longitudinal movements and a PowerLok® boltless locking system allowing unobstructed access and regular maintenance, if required.
Pedestrian safe grates
Designed to be heel friendly and slip resistant, the Iron Intercept Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grate is well suited to all pedestrian crossings and other high pedestrian traffic areas.
Its 8mm slots are purposefully designed to abode to the requirements of the following Australian Standards:
- AS 3996 Clause 3.3.5 – Surface Openings in Pedestrian Areas.
- AS 1428.2 Clause 9(c) – Ground and Floor Surfaces addressing wheelchair and walking cane safety.
- AS 4586 – Independently tested for slip resistance for wet pendulum (P3) and oil-wet platform (R10) surfaces.
NATA endorsed test reports available.
High capacity grates
ACO’s high capacity Iron Hi-Flo and Iron Transverse grates are designed with large efficient inlets to ensure high water intake, allowing for quick storm water removal from road surfaces. The features of these grates are their functionality to allow for easy cleaning (with or without grate removal), ability to be inspected through the top of grate, and to have leaves to not block the inlets.
Trench Drain Installation Devices
To reduce installation time and labour costs, ACO offers installation devices. The device clamps the channels together and braces them to prevent movement. The device also stops the channels from floating during single concrete pour operations.
Case Studies
Examples of TraffikDrain’s successful use include installations on Mooloolaba Road on the Sunshine Coast (QLD) and Telegraph Road, Bracken Ridge (QLD).
Mooloolaba Road, Sunshine Coast
Mooloolaba, being a popular tourist destination was experiencing traffic pressures from significant development making Mooloolaba Road hazardous. This was particularly the case in wet weather with its steep gradient and winding curves from Buderim Hill to Mooloolaba. Upgrades were approved by the local council to improve the roads safety by providing dedicated turning lanes, a slow vehicle lane and improving the drainage, in wet weather, to reduce the amount of water on the road.
ACO’s documented case study records the design brief as “the upgrade created super elevated sections on the road and designers wanted to ensure that the all the surface water run-off was quickly captured before transgressing across the narrow median shoulder to the other side of the road. The linear drainage system needed to be durable and able to withstand heavy wheel loads.”
ACO’s Solution
- TraffikDrain TD200 with Hi-Flo grate
- ACO’s Technical Services Department provided the project engineers with exact hydraulic performance data to advise on the appropriate spacing of the gully pits to evacuate the flow of water from the drainage channel
TraffikDrain offers some implicit benefits, which met the requirements of the brief such as the large openings of the Hi-Flo grate ensures heavy runoff being captured and immediately directed into the channel system. There are also the anti-shunt lugs built into the channel rail seat to ensure dynamic wheel movements do not dislodge grates.
Telegraph Road, Bracken Ridge
Telegraph Road had also recently undergone an $82M upgrade and provided its own challenges. ACO’s documented case study records state: “The superelevated section of the road and the limited space at the shoulder required designers to consider alternative options to closely spaced kerb inlet pits. The drainage system also needed to withstand heavy wheel loads and be easy to maintain. The solution was to install a compact drainage system with continuous capture, to eliminate surface water hazards during heavy storms.”
ACO’s Solution
- TraffikDrain TD300 with Hi-Flo grates
With its high intake grates ensuring quick and continuous collection of surface water, TraffikDrain again suited the application requiring less excavation than traditional kerb inlet pits and compact enough for roads with restricted shoulders. The PowerLok® boltless locking mechanism provides easy access for maintenance.
Bexley Road, Bexley
Forest Road in Bexley (NSW) used the TraffikDrain TD300 with both HiFlo and Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grates in the same run. The intersection that crosses with Stoney Creek Road in southern Sydney presented designers with a number of drainage challenges during high rainfall periods. The existing kerb and gutter was identified as a problem as it was now inadequate for the busy location.
Additionally, the inlet pits were spaced too far apart to capture all of the road’s surface water, resulting in a wide flow of water along the roadway, creating potential hazards for motorists. There was also the issue that pedestrians on the footpath were commonly being splashed by the passing traffic.
The designers specified ACO’s TraffikDrain with HiFlo grates as it is a continuous high intake trench drain ensuring that all of the surface stormwater is captured. The versatility of the TraffikDrain system enabled Heelsafe® Anti-Slip grates to be installed in the channel at the road crossings to ensure a safe passage for pedestrians, prams and cyclists.
For more product information visit: www.acoinfrastructure.com.au
