With awareness of Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS) applications
growing, the Concrete NZ Masonry Sector Group (NZ Concrete Masonry Association*) recently organised two successful seminars.
Held in Auckland and Christchurch during mid-October, the seminars brought together expertise from the United Kingdom (UK), Canada and New Zealand, to cover landscape architecture, urban and environmental planning, and the engineering design
and construction of the drainage systems.
Bob Bray, a SuDS designer and landscape architect from the UK, outlined successful permeable paving design examples, while David Hein, a civil engineer from Canada focussed on the testing of permeable paving and the ICPI design software.
The international speakers were joined by Nick Vigar, from Auckland Council, who covered permeable paving in relation to the Unitary Plan, and Sam Blackbourn, a civil engineer with Civix Ltd, who looked at permeable paving design examples from
around Auckland. Convenor of the Concrete NZ Masonry Sector Group David Barnard believes that the strong level of interest shown in the seminars demonstrates that landscape architects, architects, engineers, urban planners and paving contractors are
looking to alternative methods for controlling surface water.
“As urban development increases, so too does the potential for flooding from surface water and overloaded drainage systems,” says David. “SuDS, and concrete based systems such as permeable paving, now offer a way to manage surface water through
attenuation and filtration akin to natural drainage prior to site development.”
“Decision makers involved in urban planning, design and construction across New Zealand should look seriously at SuDS as a step change in the holistic management of surface water that will ensure a more sustainable built environment for or towns
and cities.”
The seminars targetted at Landscape Architects, Architects, Urban Planners, Engineers involved with stormwater systems, and Paving Contractors.
Resources highilghted during the seminars are listed below, along with links to videos of the seminar presentations:
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