Throughout the year, most of the UAE experiences little precipitation, but when rain does fall, it’s intense — and because there is no effective mechanism to absorb the water into the ground, low-lying roads, villa compounds and industrial yards quickly flood. One of the most practical and easy to maintain answers to this problem is a precast concrete soakaway which works long after the rain stops, without anyone knowing it. This article dives into the details of what precast concrete soakaway suppliers in UAE can provide for you, how it works, factors to consider when selecting a supplier, and the installation process.
Precast Concrete Soakaway: What It Is and Why It Is Important in UAE
A soakaway is a man-made hole or chamber that is underground and is used to capture surface water runoff and slowly absorb it into the surrounding soil so it doesn’t pond on the surface or strain a site’s drainage infrastructure. Soakaways in the UAE double up as stormwater management, which helps prevent surface flooding, especially during the frequent though not prolonged rainfall events in the UAE, and as ground water recharge, where water is not completely lost from the land surface but infiltrated back into the ground.
As with the rest of the precast sector, the main reason for the widespread use of precast concrete in the UAE for soakaway construction is to ensure a consistent structural strength and durability, which is better able to withstand the pressure of the surrounding soil than a less robust material would be over time, as well as resisting the corrosive effects of the region’s saline ground conditions. Precast soakaways are also installed much faster than an on-site-built equivalent as the chamber is delivered pre-prepared to lower into the excavation.
Rainwater runoff management for villa and residential developments, stormwater management for roads and infrastructure projects in large volumes, controlled surface water disposal for industrial and agricultural sites, and any development where a municipal stormwater infrastructure connection is not feasible or available, are just a few of the projects in the UAE that utilize soakaways.
Soakaways in the UAE Can Be Categorized by Type of Precast Concrete
Precast concrete soakaways can be classified into different types available in the UAE.
Water soakaway systems are dependent on the water volume and site conditions.
Standard Soakaway Pits
The standard solution is usually a precast chamber, where the walls are perforated or open-jointed to permit water to seep into the surrounding ground, which is ideal for properties such as villas and smaller residential property developments with rainfall runoff management requirements.
Ring-Type Soakaways
It is made from stacked precast concrete rings similar in concept to a manhole shaft, and is a simple, low-cost, configuration for many of the typical drainage situations.
Large-Capacity Soakaway Chambers
Typically used for road and infrastructure projects or larger commercial and industrial development projects, with large, single unit capacities or multiple interconnected chambers, depending on the stormwater volume.
Combined Soakaway and Manhole Systems
Some projects incorporate soakaway chambers with manhole access paths which enable inspection and maintenance without excavation of the surrounding area as required on each occasion.
Soakaway Systems with Silt Traps
It also features a silt or sediment trap positioned in front of the infiltration chamber to minimise debris and sediment accumulating on the infiltration surfaces of the soakaway over time — something that is important to ask in person as it makes a difference to how long a soakaway lasts.
When Selecting a Soakaway Supplier in UAE, There Are Several Factors to Keep in Mind
Choosing a reliable soakaway supplier in UAE involves a number of considerations.
Unique to the below ground design, the product is not seen when in place, which is why it is important that the specification is correct before it goes into the ground.
Appropriate Size of Site and Rainfall Data
The size of a soakaway should not be determined by a standardised table of sizes but should be based on the size of the catchment area its designed to serve and realistic local rainfall intensity. If a supplier is asking you questions about the drainage area of your site and the amount of runoff it will generate, they are conducting the assessment correctly.
Soil Percolation Suitability
Soakaways depend on the surrounding soil being able to absorb water at a workable rate. If the soakaway is designed and sized by the supplier, ask if percolation is taken into account as part of the sizing process: a small soakaway may be completely ineffective even if it is designed to hold a large volume of water.
Structural Strength and Certification
Check to see if it is manufactured to ISO standards and has documented crushing strength appropriate for the depth of burial and any surface loading above the soakaway, especially when located under a driveway, car park or trafficked surface.
Silt Management Features
Specifically inquire if the system consists of a silt trap or other debris management device, because sediment accumulation is one of the most common reasons for a soakaway’s performance to diminish over time.
Lead Times and Delivery
Soakaways are usually produced to standard dimensions, and although larger or custom capacity soakaways may require longer lead time, these are usually relatively short. Make sure you clarify a realistic timeline in writing before making a commitment.
Supply-Only vs. Supply-and-Install
Some suppliers will supply the soakaway chamber alone and excavation and connecting it to the contractor will be separate. Other suppliers will supply the chamber full package which includes excavation, placement and connection of the chamber to the surface drainage. Generally, a supply and install contract provides better accountability in case of problems.
We Are One of the Top Companies That Supply Precast Concrete Soakaways in UAE
1. KKK Precast
KKK Precast supplies precast concrete soakaway pits as an element of the stormwater management and drainage infrastructure that is installed throughout Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, with a focus on the efficient infiltration of rainwater, to control surface water disposal and long term structural integrity.
2. MTI (Precast Products)
Precast soakaways are part of MTI’s extensive drainage and infrastructure product offering, including various precast drainage components such as manholes, boundary walls, road barriers and tanks, making it a convenient choice for projects with multiple precast drainage components all from a single supplier.
3. Solid Rock Concrete Works (SRC Precast)
Operating from Umm Al Quwain, SRC Precast offers a comprehensive precast product portfolio which includes drainage structures, and has a team of experienced project designers and project management personnel who can tailor products to site specific conditions.
4. Abu Dhabi Precast (ADP)
Abu Dhabi Precast has proven itself to be a trusted supplier in the UAE market since 2001 and has a wide variety of precast infrastructure products, with the engineering and manufacturing capability to support structures for storm water and drainage within commercial and infrastructure projects.
5. HPI Precast
Drainage infrastructure is a specific area of focus within HPI Precast’s core product range of prefabricated concrete drainage systems, precast panels and GRP manhole systems.
The Entire Process for Supplying and Installing a Soakaway
Knowing the process of specification to working soakaway can aid in realistic project planning.
Site and Drainage Assessment
The appropriate size and type of soakaway are realized by using the expected runoff volume and soil percolation characteristics of the site in the catchment area.
Excavation
The surrounding ground conditions are checked to ensure suitability for infiltration and the pit is then excavated to the required depth and size.
Placement
Precast soakaway chamber is installed and connected to surface drainage inlets or downpipes that are connected to the precast soakaway chamber.
Suitable Backfilling Material
Typically, backfill around the chamber is a free-draining material in order to facilitate infiltration into the surrounding soil, not dense fill that would restrict water infiltration.
Commissioning
After installation, the system is tested to ensure water is draining into the system as designed and that surface pooling is not occurring with infiltration of the water.
UAE Approvals and Regulations for Precast Concrete Soakaways
For projects not connected to the emirate’s stormwater infrastructure, a project drainage design submission is usually required to receive approval from the relevant emirate authority (Dubai Municipality, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah Municipality or the equivalent authority in other emirates) for the stormwater management system, and these systems typically include soakaways.
These requirements should be well understood by a supplier who has real experience in projects in the UAE and who will be able to provide the required documentation for approval as part of project submission.
Conclusion of Precast Concrete Soakaway Suppliers in UAE
The UAE precast soakaway market comprises dedicated drainage infrastructure manufacturers, as well as precast manufacturers which have a more comprehensive product line and also sell soakaways. KKK Precast and MTI provide soakaways as part of their existing stormwater/drainage infrastructure lines, while SRC Precast, Abu Dhabi Precast and HPI Precast provide scale and manufacturing for commercial and infrastructure projects.
The size of the sizer, not the brand, is more important when fitting it to your actual catchment area and soil conditions. Don’t take anything for granted, and don’t order just because a searcher has told you a capacity, ask for a proper calculation instead, verify that a soakaway will contain provision for silt management and obtain certification prior to placing an order — once a capacity has been calculated correctly the first time, it will function efficiently and silently underground for years.