In addition to the need to minimise the impact of extreme flooding events, a much more sustainable approach to managing surface water is necessary in order to create a more balanced and natural ecology, in both our urban and rural areas.
By embracing the core principles of SuDS, geosynthetics help to minimise the impact of flooding, whilst also facilitating a much more attractive and sustainable landscape in which to work and live.
The advantages of geosynthetics in SuDS
For more than 50 years, geosynthetics have been used extensively throughout the world, helping to deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions across a diverse range of sustainable drainage applications. Their use offers many advantages over ‘traditional’ construction techniques. As a consequence, both the structural and stormwater treatment benefits of geosynthetics have been recognised and universally adopted in the development of SuDS solutions that deliver source control – both above and below ground.
One of the primary benefits of incorporating geosynthetics is that a more sustainable, shallow solution can be achieved which minimises both the risk and cost of construction. This reduced depth of construction also limits the use of natural materials and off-site disposal, which optimises the environmental credentials of a project.
Another prime benefit in the use of geosynthetics is their ability to enhance the water treatment capability of a SuDS system. Source control solutions rely upon a series of treatment stages in order to achieve an acceptable quality of discharge water, and geotextiles and geocomposites in particular have an important role to play in achieving this requirement, with SuDS techniques set to become mandatory throughout the UK.
