Macro-drainage is important to understand the capacity of the pipeline urban system that received the entirety of the rainwater volumes during rains. This subject study the infrastructure of collection networks in cities, besides contemplating the contention of floods and its consequences for the population.
The rectification and channeling of rivers, in addition to the high level of soil infiltration, many times cause big problems in cities such as floods that result on the loss of properties, lives, transmission of diseases, decrease on the quality of rainwater, decrease of the quality of life and destruction of public ways.
Planning of macro-drainage works
How is this planning done and why is it important?
The planning starts with the definition of the contribution area, type of soil, infiltrated areas, number of properties, mapping of the water course and the topography study of the selected area. That’s why, the planning is important for the elaboration of more effective projects on the amortization of floods, less impacts and population. The main project in macro-drainage of a city is the Director Plan.
Which engineering subjects are necessary so that this planning is effective?
The main applied subjects in this type of work are Hydrology, Topography, Urbanism, Geography and Meteorology.
What happens if there’s no planning?
Among the many impacts, the main of is flood of public ways, which can result on the destruction of residencies, landslides, loss of lives due to falls of rocks and floods, as well as silting of rivers.
Technologies and expertise in macro-draining works
What are the main technological routes for this service?
- Mediation system of leveling of rivers;
- Mediation systems of river and stream outflows;
- Meteorology system in partnership with Civil Defense.
The new technologies on this area are the following:
- Permeable asphalt;
- Sidewalks with gardens and permeable pavements;
- Green friendly urban drainage with linear parks;
- New public policies, such as the “Law of little pools” which has as its goal to reduce the damages cause by floods in São Paulo. The law makes it mandatory to build new reservoirs for collected waters by covering and pavements in waterproof areas over 500m².
What type of experience must a company that develops this type of solution have?
Experiences with big magnitude works, execution of big pools, pipeline system with concrete washers and grave leaks.
What are Allonda’s differentials in this sense?
Allonda counts on a trained technical body for the elaboration of macro-drainage projects and a qualified work planning department aligned with the operation. Moreover, in all works, we have attention with the safety of the job to avoid any type of accident with the team.
Execution of macro-drainage jobs
Why are those solutions relevant?
Nowadays, the unstoppable urbanization, specially in big cities and emergent countries, has increased the number of big floods in urban areas. Because of that, understanding and implementing an efficient macro-drainage net is very relevant to those areas.
Are those preventive or emergency solutions?
The solutions must be preventive, in order to avoid problems such as the mention above. Working with rainy weather it’s always necessary to predict future occurrences.
What does the market “buy” from the companies that provide this service?
The market usually “buys” the elaboration of the executive project of macro-drainage aside from the execution itself. Nowadays, the market is turned to containment works of big floods, such as big pools, since the works done in the decades of 1980 and 1990 are no longer enough to contain all rainwater outflow in big urban centers.
Special cares in macro-drainage works
Why is this such a complex job?
The macro-drainage works are complex due to the operation of big digging machines, earthwork and load moving. In addition to that, there’s also the process of dimensioning of hydraulic unities such as channels, such as channels, spillways, tubulations of big diameters and reservoirs of flood detention, which must be done in correct criteria, respecting the hydraulic norms.
What are the risks of this type of operation?
The main risks in macro-drainage works are linked to the conciliation of execution time with the draught period since this type of job execution must not be done during rain periods. In addition to that, there is the mobilization of excavators, dump trucks and concrete tubulations, all large sized equipment. For the operational team, there are landslide risks due to bad installing and propping on the walls of ditches and channels.
Why is Allonda the best company to execute this type of job?
Great part of the works in macro-drainage must be done during the draught period of the year, that is, in a span of at least six months – between April and September. That’s why the mobilization and finalization of the work must be done in a quick and well-planned way. We have the technical capacity to speed the mobilization of works in an emergency regime, and already have machines necessary to do so. Our team has quality and experience in previous emergency works and, at last, we have in all our works full attention with the labor security to avoid any type of accident.