By NORMA Group
NDS Design Worx® team tackles sheetflow with channeldrain layout for major fast-food company's office courtyard
A fast-growing chicken restaurant in the Dallas Fort Worth area was building a central corporate office to support its multiple locations. The design included an outside courtyard that the staff could use for lunch, breaks and outdoor events for employees.
The lot was very flat, posing a challenge for stormwater drainage, and creating a list of three key requirements: the project needed a low-profile drainage system that could manage the site’s sheet flow, meet high storm intensity requirements even with the area’s flat topography and also feature a high-end finish since the aesthetics for the outdoor amenities were largely modern and made of stainless steel.
Project Summary
Project Type
Capture & Convey
Property
Office Building
NDS Products Used
NDS Design Worx® Services Utilized
- Shop drawings
- Comprehensive parts list
“We feel comfortable with this product as this courtyard has received several heavy rain events and has drained exceptionally well!
– Commercial Contracting Co.
“We worked with NDS to design a solution to minimize the view of our trench and slot drains for a better visual aesthetic. We were able to not only meet our visual desire we were also able to convey the required amount of water more efficiently, saving the client money.”
– Design Firm
– Commercial Contracting Co.
“We worked with NDS to design a solution to minimize the view of our trench and slot drains for a better visual aesthetic. We were able to not only meet our visual desire we were also able to convey the required amount of water more efficiently, saving the client money.”
– Design Firm
Premium Grates and Sloped Channel Meet Low-Profile, High-End Design
The project’s design firm collaborated with the local NDS specification manager to come up with the right solution to meet the design criteria. Since the site had little elevation change, NDS BG-FILCOTEN® pre-sloped trench drains were an ideal choice. A product with a built-in slope would provide a continuous 0.5% slant inside the channel drain, providing more effective and complete drainage because it keeps standing water from gathering inside the channel drain body. In addition, BG-FILCOTEN drains are easy to clean as maintenance units are integrated directly into the channel and can quickly be accessed for cleaning purposes.
The project would also utilize NDS slot top grates in stainless steel. Slot top grates are becoming more popular as specifiers look to products that blend in more easily with surrounding design elements and hardscapes. These ½-in. wide narrow grates inflow plenty of water and manage large rain events while matching the aesthetics and being more inconspicuous within the hardscape of the outdoor area.
Design Worx® Services Help Ensure Best Outcome Possible
The NDS Design Worx team provides multiple free services that help lighten the load for busy specifiers and make the process go more smoothly. With this project in particular, Design Worx services produced shop drawings and a comprehensive parts list, which made it easy for both the designer and the contractor to know exactly how and where to install the product. This alleviated the guesswork for the designer and construction team.
When the drain system was installed within the synthetic turf area and courtyard paver walkway, the contractor said the product packaging, labeling and installation details provided on the shop drawing by NDS were very clear so there was no confusion. Often times, due to the high number of parts showing up on a jobsite, it’s easy for product to get mixed up so having a detailed plan is of great value and allow for a seamless installation.
This slot top solution has since been used on other jobs by the design consulting firm because of how happy they were with the results.
