High Flying Ridgistorm-XL used for Manchester Airport Car Park Development

Polypipe, the UK’s leading manufacturer of sustainable drainage and water management products has supplied a unique surface water drainage system for Manchester Airports Group Plc, who required a new shuttle bus route and 9,000 extra car parking spaces at Manchester Airport.

Working closely with main contractor Galliford Try and consultant engineer BWB, Polypipe was tasked with intelligently engineering a surface water drainage system design to minimise disruption to travellers and enable the facilities to remain operational in the event of a storm.

With the car parks situated directly in the flight path of the main runway there were a number of height restrictions imposed, making it impossible to use tower cranes for lifting heavier traditional materials. As such, a lighter weight drainage solution was required in order to minimise lifting equipment on site.

Upon tender stage Polypipe worked with Galliford Try to engineer a drainage system over the area of 65 acres, using surface water drainage pipes from 150mm Ridgidrain to 1200mm Ridgistorm-XL large diameter pipe, over 100 catchpits and chambers, as well as gully components. The drainage system allows captured surface water to be carried through a number of drainage runs and pre-fabricated chambers and catchpits before entering the existing sewer run on Styal Road, the main link road between the car parks.

The catchpits and chambers were manufactured in Polypipe’s in-house fabrications department, ranging in diameters from 900mm to 2700mm. The chambers included components such as orifice plates, flow control devices and penstocks to restrict the flow of water downstream to avoid overwhelming the sewer system, as well as a flap valve within a 1500mm chamber to prevent water returning into the system after being dispelled. Catchpits and chambers sized 1500mm and above also included Ridgistorm-XL Lifting Points to allow for safe handling during lifting and installation.

Robin Turner, Principal Engineer at BWB, said: “A key consideration when searching for a partner for this project was ensuring that the specified system could be easily sourced, and that we would have guidance from the manufacturer at every step of the way to ensure a smooth process. ‘

Colin Abbott,  Director of Aviation at Galliford Try added: “We initially believed that the scale of this project meant that we would need to source products from a number of companies, however the complete range of solutions available from Polypipe meant that a full package of drainage pipes and chambers could be sourced from one manufacturer and installed to schedule.”

Emma Nicholls, Marketing Manager at Polypipe, said: “The differing ground conditions and close proximity to a working airport required a proven engineered system. We were able to manufacture Ridgistorm-XL in various stiffness classes in line with the different soil types on site including soft clay, to create a cost effective system strong enough to cope with the loads placed upon it from vehicles above”

Ridgiduct cable protection was also used for this project.