Urban surface design

Designing surface water runoff in urban environments

Urban squares + plazas

Plazas and urban squares have been argued to be the most important area of city design. It is these areas that create the setting for public and commercial buildings in our cities.

While they can be an attractive amenity when designed and constructed properly these spaces too often become unsightly with weed growth, pooling water and dangerous trip hazards all of which create costly maintenance demands. It is only through good and careful attention to the surface design detail that these problems can be avoided.

Increasingly sustainable design principles require sophisticated approaches to water management all of which need to work harmoniously with parameters that are set for landscaping, lighting, trafficking and security and safety.

ACO’s Qmax and  MultiDrain Brickslot ranges are frequently used in Squares and Plazas on account of the grating’s slot detail enabling discrete lines to be incorporated in the surface. ACO Freestyle gratings are often used to create designs that standout and ‘tell a story’. ACO’s MultiDrain sloped systems can be combined with gratings of the appropriate material, water intake, aesthetics and fixing to ensure water can be drained away efficiently from footpaths to prevent ponding and icing. Products like the ACO Lightpoint and the ACO Eyeled combine drainage and lighting enabling light and colour to be used in creating cohesive and pleasing design in the surface.

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Squares & plazas

Concise case studies on Squares & plazas

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Urban squares + plazas

Urban squares & Plazas

Channel Drainage

ACO Freestyle

Load Class D 400

ACO MultiDrain® Brickslot

Load Class A 15

ACO MultiDrain® MD

Load Class D 400

ACO MultiDrain® PPD

Load Class D 400

ACO Qmax®

Load Class F 900

Stainless Steel Channel Systems

ACO AS1010 Brickslot Drainage Channel

Load Class A–B

ACO AS1050 Discrete Channel

Load Class A–B

ACO AS201 Mechanical Clamp

Load Class A-C

ACO AS301 Box Channel

Load Class A-C

ACO AS401 Fire Lift Channel

Load Class A 15

ACO AS501 Easy-Clean

Load Class A-C

ACO AS601 Slot Channel

Load Class A-C

ACO AS701 Upstand

Load Class A-C

ACO AS801 Micro Channel

Load Class A–B

ACO AS901 Hi Load

Load Class A–D

ACO Deckline 125

Load Class A-C

ACO FreeDeck

Load Class A 15

ACO Modular 125+ Linear Channel

Load Class A-C

ACO Radius Drainage Channel

Load Class A–B

Water Storage

ACO StormBrixx Range

Load Class N/A

Flow Controls

ACO Q-Brake Vortex

Load Class N/A

ACO Q-Plate Orifice Plates

Load Class N/A

Access Covers

ACO Bespoke Access Covers

Load Class AA-D

ACO UniFace Recessed Access Covers

Load Class AA-D

ACO UniTop™ Solid Covers

Load Class AA-B