Technical Description:
UrbanPond® Concrete Detention System
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Houston, Texas is American’s fourth most populous city and bursting with educational opportunities. The nine-county area of Houston is home to more than 60 school districts and nearly 200 private schools. Saint Thomas Episcopal School (K-12), located in the southwest corner of Houston, was looking to achieve stormwater storage goals. However, installing such systems without disrupting school operations presented unique challenges.
Construction on school properties, regardless of type, is inherently complex due to the limited time available for improvements on an active campus. This meant the solution had to be simple, keeping the installation on schedule while effectively meeting the stormwater requirements.
The lead engineering firm collaborated with Contech’s engineering team to size the UrbanPond concrete detention system. UrbanPond is a modular precast concrete underground storage system that mimics the function of ponds and open detention basins.
Contech’s in-house engineers sized three systems using twenty-nine 8’x8’x7’ perimeter modules and seventy-six 8’x8’x7’ interior modules, providing 43,632 cu. ft. storage requirement. The modules were placed under an athletic field.
UrbanPond is known for efficient delivery and installation. For this project, the UrbanPond modules were delivered 3 per truck and set directly on a slab. No special backfill was needed once the modules were set, which sped up the installation process. The school, general contractor, and sub-contractor were all pleased with the simplicity and rate of installation given site constraints and the limited timeframe before students returned from summer break.
Technical Description:
UrbanPond® Concrete Detention System
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