ACO TECHNOLOGIES PLC - WATER MANAGEMENT
ACO BUSINESS PARK
HITCHIN ROAD
SHEFFORD
BEDFORDSHIRE SG17 5TE
Tel: 01462 816666
Fax: 01462 815895
Suppliers of: Surface water drainage, drainage channels, slot drainage channels, channel drainage systems, storm water management systems, SUDS drainage systems, Threshold drainage channels, Linear drainage channels, Road drainage systems, Kerb drainage systems
ACO Water Management
Throughout the world ACO is recognised as a world leader in the design, development and implementation of sustainable surface water management systems.
Through client-based research and constant innovation, ACO Water Management has evolved from its origins in line drainage to an award-winning supplier of an unrivalled range of products and support services that provide the complete and effective management of surface water: from system design through collection, cleaning, storing and on-site source control allowing the safe release of run-off back to natural watercourses.
Covering applications as diverse as retail and commercial developments to major national transport and infrastructure projects, the ACO Water Management range assures industry leading sustainable drainage performance and environmental protection.
The range includes high performance surface water drainage systems, award-winning attenuation and infiltration solutions, as well as hydrocarbon separators and vortex flow control systems. For more information visit www.aco.co.uk
Useful Resources:
- NBS Specifications: Click here
- CPD Seminars: Click here
- Social Media: View ACO Water Management on Twitter / LinkedIn
- Video: Access ACO Product Videos on YouTube
- Hydraulic Design Software: ACO Hydraulic Design software for the design of surface water management schemes.
- Surface & Grating Visualizer: Click here
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ACO Water Management Main Product ranges:
The Civils + Infrastructure range has pioneered the management of surface water and today provides architects, specifiers and engineers with a complete package of integrated systems suitable for use across the entire spectrum of civil engineering projects.
The Building + Landscape range is tailored to the demands of residential developments. Easy to use and install, products have finish options that both complement and enhance the aesthetic qualities of any domestic property.
Tailored to the demands of domestic applications, the market leading range provides customers with the most complete and stylish surface water management offering for driveways, patios, level doorway thresholds, landscaped areas, roofs and wetrooms.
The Building + Landscape range is certified and tested to the highest performance standards for the domestic environment.
ACO Sport provides specific drainage solutions and stadia products for sporting facilities, stadiums and arenas. These systems are designed to maximise the functionality of the athletic facility without disrupting the performance of athletes and players.
ACO Wildlife includes toad tunnels and amphibian fencing systems, focuses on the protection of vulnerable species whose habitats are increasingly under threat.
ACO Building Drainage specialises in the development of drainage products and corrosion resistant drainage systems for application across the internal and external built environments. See the ACO Building Drainage page for more information.
The Surface Water Management Cycle
To help architects, designers and contractors meet the legal requirements that now tightly control the way surface water is managed, ACO has created its unique ‘Surface Water Management Cycle’ – Collect, Clean, Hold, Release - the four core processes now required for the complete and sustainable management of surface water drainage.
SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage)
ACO is proud to be at the forefront of SUDS innovation. Our unrivalled experience and industry leading approach to sustainable surface water management makes us the ideal partner to help realise SUDS objectives. With world-class, integrated solutions, such as our new StormBrixx attenuation system, already aligned to the new legislation and policy agenda, we create lasting, measurable change.
The unique ACO Hydraulic Design software built to enable the efficient and accurate hydraulic design of surface water management schemes using channels as the means of conveyance.
Further technical information is available to download from the ACO Website or via the BPi Download Library
Aco Trading + COVID 19 – Update
Trading + COVID 19 – Update
Further to our communication of March 16th we are emailing to keep you up to date regarding ACO’s trading status.
We are pleased to be able to say that we remain open and trading, holding good levels of stock for all of our core product ranges. At present our delivery times continue to be the normal 3-5 working days.
Our factories continue to operate in fully controlled and safe work environments in order to ensure a full service and supply of products as required by stockist or site.
Additionally, our customer care teams are also available to provide support. These include:
Project pricing
Order enquires
Technical support
Design services
Online training
We will maintain full support to customers that continue to operate until further notice; this is on the basis that despite the understandable confusion created by the corona virus pandemic, the government has confirmed that construction sites can continue to operate. They state: “Construction sites have not been asked to close, so work can continue if it is done safely.” (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-and-covid-19-building-safety-update-27-march-2020).
To deliver full support ACO have worked hard in order to establish strict new operating procedures in the business. All of our operating focus is directed in the context of health and safety of its employees and customers; it continues to be of paramount importance whilst ensuring the business continues to run with optimal efficiency in this new and challenging environment.
We will continue to monitor Government & WHO guidelines and working practices to ensure we implement appropriate responses across the whole business, so as to comply with all government guidelines as a minimum.
Finally, I would like to remind you that ACO offer a variety of support tools including online knowledge bases and live support services.
I would like to draw your attention to our online ‘askACO’ technical services support facility, it is automatically available to users that that have already registered on the ACO website and for those that haven’t, registration is very quick and easy. You will also be able to find the latest updates regarding service availability at: www.aco.co.uk/Covid19-trading
We will keep you regularly updated via email, but for now would like to thank you for your continued support and urge you to stay safe while working through this, together.
Yours sincerely
Mike Simpson Lane
Managing Director
ACO Technologies plc
Aco Technologies - Choosing a channel - Overview of drainage selection
Choosing a channel - overview of drainage selection for Civils + Infrastructure
Drainage and water management systems form a vital part of all construction projects. With so many options available, selecting the best drainage system can feel like an overwhelming task. With this in mind, Adam McKinnon, Business Development Manager, ACO Scotland, explores different types of drainage systems, how they can be selected appropriately, and the importance of training on specifying the correct products.
Getting to grips with different types of drainage, and ensuring that a system isn’t incorrectly specified, can make a huge difference towards ensuring an efficient water management system is implemented in construction projects.
The different types of drainage
Drainage comes in a variety of different shapes and sizes, and there are a number of logistical challenges to consider when selecting a drainage system for a project. The complex four-way slopes needed for point drainage, for example, can be difficult to construct and require increased excavation and pipework that could be avoided with an alternative system, such as channel drainage.
Considering load class
All drainage system manufacturers have to ensure products are suitable to meet a specific load classification, so it is important to consider this when selecting drainage for urban environments. However, while the load class system itself is a fairly simple specification tool to follow, it is one that surprisingly few people are fully up to speed with.
To comply with BS EN 1433:2002 standards, all drainage channels are organised into load classes, which are effectively different categories detailing the load-bearing capacity of that product. Ranging from A 15, for pedestrian footpaths and patios, through to F 900, for airports and industrial yards, the standards are a quick way of ensuring that the right channel and grating is selected.
Grated vs Monocast
In addition to load classification, choosing a grated or monocast system is another consideration. Grated channels offer more choice in the aesthetics but monocast systems offer better security and integral strength against turning forces. Taking into account local environmental considerations can also affect the decision, so coastal sea air, for example, may require a coated product that protects against oxidisation. The monocast channels from ACO are made from Vienite®, ACO’s high strength recycled polymer concrete, so do not have this issue.
Sizing the channels
Choosing the correct channel size – not under or over specifying to avoid flooding or overspending – requires knowledge of rain fall levels in the particular location, as well as various considerations over surface area and types. It is easier to rely on the expertise of drainage manufacturers, and some offer self-service tools such as ACO QuAD to ease this process.
Applications and suggestions
Medium duty applications, such as stations, schools, car parks and commercial areas, require drainage that effectively removes water but is also safe for both pedestrians and vehicles in an urban environment. ACO MonoDrain® is a one-piece channel drainage system utilised recently in the car park of Corby’s Market Walk Shopping Centre regeneration. The black polymer concrete product provided durable drainage in both installation and usage, and Load Class D 400 compliant to BS EN1433:2002. Additionally, its strength is such that it requires less concrete haunching than equivalent channels and so saves on installation costs.
For applications that require heavy-duty durability, such as highways, distribution yards and airfields, a more robust channel is required to meet the load class requirements. ACO’s RoadDrain is manufactured to Load Class F 900 and was specified to a recent project at Dublin Port as it was not only strong enough to handle the daily extreme point-loading demands, but also offers a high intake area thanks to 15mm slots to deliver maximum hydraulic performance.
Ensuring successful specification
The key to a successful water management system specification is confidence that the right drainage size and system has been put in place. Training is often the best way of keeping up to speed with product developments. ACO, for example, offers training sessions on products as well as subjects such as SuDS, and where they are best applied within different projects.
Many construction industry professionals may be limited on time and, therefore, it may not be practical to commit to the traditional way of lunch-hour or one-day training sessions with a manufacturer. Instead of missing out on useful training, manufacturers – including ACO – are shifting towards online training sessions with learning providers, such as Colab, who offer industry-relevant CPDs and on-demand videos from events, all of which can be watched on a tablet or laptop from a site office or on the go.
Thinking about drainage options from the beginning of a project is the best way to ensure that effective surface water management is implemented in urban environments. Neglecting aspects such as drain type and load class can create issues further down the line if not taken into account from the initial stages of specification. However, it is easy to avoid any problems when proper consideration is taken into account.
