Products
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11/11/2024
Hydraulic invariance: effective draining solutions to help managing rainfall
Concrete, screed mortars and paints can help vertical drainage for surfaces in urban areas.
Mapei offers innovative solutions for helping draining rainwater in urban environments, respecting the principle of hydraulic invariance. With products such as DRENO concrete and MAPESTONE DRAIN mortar, it is possible to create safe surfaces without altering the soil. Products such as MAPECOAT TNS PAINT also offer the possibility of enhancing the aesthetic effect of urban surfaces, such as those of pedestrian and cycle paths.
Integrated quality-quantity management of storm water runoff is becoming an increasingly central theme of environmental policy, both in Italy and at international level. The frenetic and, all too often, uncontrolled growth of built-up areas in many of our cities in recent decades has put enormous pressure on water resources and made it very difficult to manage storm water through networks that would need to be constantly upgraded to handle new flow-rates and volumes of discharges. To make matters worse, climate change has led to a trend of more frequent and, above all, more intense extreme weather events with a resulting increase in hydraulic risk.
To tackle these changes, the traditional way of draining off storm water, by channelling it away through larger and larger networks of runoff channels, means the size and section of the main catchment pools and basins also need to be upgraded accordingly, which simply transfers the problem from mountain regions to further downstream and, in turn, leads to those areas becoming more vulnerable.
The new approach to managing storm water is moving towards systems that allow it to be processed at a more local level and over a more widespread network, as well as being treated through natural systems so that it can then be used again or dispersed into the ground.
The aim of this approach is to allow part of the storm water, which is quality-controlled during the process, to flow into water courses and aquifers so it is available for the local supply, while helping maintain the water balance and increasing biodiversity, including in urban surroundings.
The natural position for this modern approach to storm water management is within the framework of activities aimed at promoting environmental sustainability, in line with European Union policies, and is best represented in the application of hydraulic-hydrological invariance criteria. This means that any transformation to the ground within an area must take place without increasing the flood flow of the water body or drainage network receiving the outflows originating from the said area.
If we apply this concept to the engineering sector, this leads more and more often to the use of vertical drainage solutions for urban paving, which can be combined with the aesthetic requirements of colour and road markings in those areas.
Mapei solutions for concrete draining surfaces
Mapei's experience in the flooring sector has allowed the company to develop a number of solutions to contribute to the correct management of rainwater and the achievement of hydraulic invariance.
DRENO is an open-pore drainage concrete whose cavity-rich structure allows water to penetrate easily into the subsoil.
Vaga, a subsidiary of the Mapei Group, offers DRENO, an open-pore type of concrete with a dense network of cavities that allow water to penetrate unhindered into the subsoil. This product is ideal for creating any type of urban surfaces (not exposed to intense vehicle traffic) and has a guaranteed level of compressive strength (≥ 15 N/mm2). DRENO may be used to consolidate paving for country lanes, footpaths and cycle tracks, for drainage purposes in buildings/structures below ground level and in hydraulic works to create substrates with very good drainage properties.
DRENO is a ready-mixed concrete used to create urban surfaces that requires a high level of permeability (≥ 640 mm/min.) It is characterised by its easy application, excellent workability and “vertical drainage” properties, which make the surface itself eco-sustainable without modifying the permeability characteristics of the ground.
DRENO also contributes to obtaining LEED award points and improving users’ safety, thanks to its drainage properties that eliminate the formation of puddles.
Thanks to its properties, it was chosen for the redevelopment of the Porta Garibaldi area in Milan. This area is one of the most iconic locations in Milan, where various roads and footpaths winding their way between skyscrapers are used by local residents, families, and professionals, as well as tourists visiting the city, which need to guarantee their safety all year round, whatever the weather. And it was precisely for the safety of those using these paths that the company contracted to carry out the work to upgrade the paving, chose to use DRENO, a pervious concrete which is the result of a joint-development programme between Mapei and VAGA Research & Development Laboratories.
DRENO was used in the neighbourhood of Milan to create draining pavements along the Passeggiata del Parco, the pedestrian section connecting the skyscrapers of The Mall and Torre Solea.
Colour and protection for draining concrete with MAPECOAT TNS PAINT
The aesthetic appearance of pedestrian concrete surfaces can also be improved by spraying on MAPECOAT TNS PAINT, a highly wear-resistant coloured coating. The wide range of colours available, along with tailor-made colours using ColorMap technology, offers a palette of infinite colours in the hands of both landscape architects and the maestros of street art and land art.
For instance, MAPECOAT TNS PAINT was successfully used to coat several cycle paths in different countries such as the one that was recently completed in Pieve Emanuele, near Milan.
An example of draining concrete paving completed with MAPECOAT TNS PAINT is the cycle path built in Pieve Emanuele, near Milan
MAPESTONE DRAIN for architectural stone paving
As for the architectural stone paving sector, Mapei has recently developed a solution which can contribute to the management of rainwater in urban contexts: MAPESTONE DRAIN is a ready-to-use dry mortar, with high mechanical strength (30 Mpa), for making exterior pervious screeds. This product ensures the installation and, thanks to its reduced grain size (3 mm), also the grouting of paving made of natural stone, terracotta, stoneware and cementitious interlocking elements. Floors made with MAPESTONE DRAIN are pervious, resistant to thermal shock and freeze/thaw cycles and light traffic and meet the requirements of UNI 11714 - 1- 2018 for class P7. Therefore the use of this product is recommended for wet areas subject to frequent rainfall and thermal shocks as it prevents the risk of lime and alkali-silicate efflorescence as well as cracking and destructive phenomena.
MAPESTONE DRAIN is a ready-mixed, draining mortar for the construction of permeable pavements that are resistant to temperature changes, freeze/thaw cycles and light traffic.
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