Drainage systems are the backbone of a clean and healthy city, society or home. It’s often during periods of heavy rainfall that a drainage system is really tested. The best way to ensure a worry free monsoon is to install trench drain systems that effectively remove surface water run-off. Trench drains are embedded linear drainage systems that intercept and collect surface water over a long distance, such as in front of restaurants, paved areas, loading docks and airports.
Trench drains are so effective that they can also be designed for use in:
- Animal facilities
- Food processing units
- Chemical factories
- Manufacturing units
- Vehicle service and washing centers
- Swimming pools
- Stadiums
- Sidewalks, parks
- Parking areas
- Landscapes
Trench drains helps to keep the surface slip free, extends the service life of pavements, and maintains hygienic conditions. It also protects foundations and properties from getting flooded or damaged, and controls overall flooding conditions.
Benefits of Trench Drains
The preferred type of trench drain is the linear trench drain because of its neat appearance, ease of construction, minimum underground piping, non-interference with other utility lines and ease of maintenance. Precast modular trench drains drain water rapidly and have negligible absorption. This ensures complete elimination of harmful products if any. The smooth surface ensures that bacteria and debris do not accumulate. It is highly resistant to chemicals and thus great for use in food processing plants that use cleaning agents. They are also available in different designs for use in areas that require good aesthetics. Depending on where the trench drains are, safety requirements such as ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) are applied.
Types of Trench Drains and Applications
Light duty trench drains are used for traffic from pedestrians, bicycles and wheelchairs. Medium duty trench drains are used for areas where traffic is mostly from passenger cars and vans. Heavy duty trench drains are used for pneumatic tire traffic patterns such as for trailers and trucks. Extra heavy duty trench drains are used commercial solid tire traffic pattern such as from metal wheels and steel struts.
Trench drains can be made of different materials based on where it is installed.
- Cast iron trench drains are used in ports, truck loading docks and parking areas.
- Precast modular trench drains are used in food processing plants and swimming pools.
- Fiberglass trench drains are used in airport hangars, parking lots, and water treatment plants.
- Polymer concrete trench drains are used in warehouses, service stations, highways, and airports.
- Modular stainless steel trench drains are used in restaurants, commercial units, and bottling plants.
Industry Best Trench Drain Products
NDS Channel and Trench Drain Systems have a wide range of durable and easy to install trench and channel drains. They come in different sizes and materials to meet usage, volume and load requirements. The product line-up includes Micro channel drains, Mini channel drains, Dura-slope channel drains and Pro-series channel drains.
MEA–Josam manufactures trench drains from GRP, fiberglass and polymer concrete. The products are available with or without slope with grates of stainless steel, galvanized steel, cast iron, ductile iron and high density polyethylene (HDPE) which can be selected based on loading conditions.
Polycast Trench Drains manufactures polymer concrete trench drains with several grating options available. Polycast products are great for commercial drainage problems and also offer fiberglass and HDPE grates for application in corrosive environment. Polymer concrete has low porosity, high compressive strength, corrosion resistance and resistance to freeze-thaw cycles.