Most designers know the advantages of precast concrete. Precast concrete is cast in a controlled environment which results in a strong product with a smooth, attractive finish. Precast concrete is faster to install and provides an economical alternative to field-cast concrete. Precast concrete eliminates many of the risks inherent in field-cast concrete.
So why aren’t products like infiltration and flow-through stormwater treatment planters precast to capitalize on these benefits? Well, the answer is, they are!
Introducing Modular Precast Stormwater Treatment Systems
Oldcastle Infrastructure, a CRH company, has a product called the BioMod®, which is a modular, precast planter box-style stormwater treatment system.
A planter box-style stormwater treatment system is a structural landscaped reservoir that collects stormwater and filters out pollutants as the water percolates through layers of vegetation, growing medium, and gravel within the structure.
Open-bottom structures are often used where native soils allow infiltration, and closed-bottom structures may be used where soils don’t drain well or near buildings, roadways or other features that require structural support or may be adversely affected by saturated soil. Closed-bottom structures are equipped with a perforated underdrain pipe to convey flow from the structure to an approved discharge point.
Specify BioMod for Maximum Flexibility
Although it may seem counterintuitive, it is important to specify the BioMod rather than a field-cast planter box-style stormwater treatment system to provide the contractor maximum flexibility. And, even though BioMod can be produced in any configuration and to any dimension, the highest quality and most economical options can only be produced using standard forms.
Showing the BioMod on project plans will give the contractor the option of installing a BioMod or field-casting a similar system. But the opposite is not always true. Showing a field-cast system on the project plans may preclude the use of the BioMod because the configuration or dimensions cannot be easily accommodated using standard BioMod modules.
The bottom line is that providing a contractor with flexibility typically yields the highest project quality and lowest project cost.
Designed to Meet Your Project Needs Every Time
A BioMod treatment system can be configured to meet any site’s water quality requirement and layout constraints using modular precast structural shapes including straight trench sections, corner sections, and end sections. Specialty modules like a pretreatment and bypass module or an overflow filter module can also be incorporated to improve system function and aesthetics.
The BioMod does not require special agency approval since it is designed and built to meet the presiding jurisdiction’s design criteria for sizing, filtration media type and depth, and other critical features.
The BioMod is supplied to meet each project and owner’s needs with features to make installation easy for the contractor. At a minimum, the precast modules will have fill depth for each filtration layer clearly marked on each piece and can be delivered to the job site and set in the excavation upon delivery. Or, the Building Solutions team can also provide and place all filtration components and vegetation to yield a finished system. Using our resources for the complete unit guarantees consistent materials that meet jurisdictional specifications and ensures water quality.
If you're not sure if precast is right for your next project, start with our article about how precast can help you build smarter. You'll be able to quickly evaluate how your project can benefit from using precast.
