Alongside & beneath the road

Innovative infiltration system alongside or beneath the road

The application of Rockflow as a flexible infiltration system alongside or beneath roads

We are increasingly surprised by heavy downpours, even in the Netherlands. What if the rainwater falls on unpaved surfaces? It mostly soaks into the ground. But a great deal of the land in our country consists of paved surfaces, such as roads, squares and parking spaces. The rainwater that falls on these paved surfaces also has to go somewhere. During a heavy downpour, a lot of rain falls upon the roads, which can cause heavy flooding. But the closure of a road to resolve or prevent the problem, is very disruptive.

The drainage of rain from roads

Rainwater that falls on paved surfaces, such as roads, cannot simply soak into the ground. What if a large amount of rain falls in a very short time? The consequences of this on and around roads can be very serious. Flooding can arise very quickly during extreme downpours. It causes empty streets and tunnels that have to be closed. Roadworks that have to be carried out as a result of essential maintenance to resolve the problems often cause traffic chaos. Road users are confronted with longer journey times as a result of road closures, diversions and traffic jams. That's why highways authorities try to limit the overload as much as possible and prevent problems.

The delicate function of a road therefore also demands a system for the drainage of rainwater that features a long life and adequate flexibility.

Brochure illustration Rockflow, water management

More information about Rockflow

Are you curious about the possibilities of Rockflow? In our brochure, you can read where Rockflow stone wool can be used and how the innovative system works.

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The capabilities of Rockflow

The Rockflow infiltration system, made up of stone wool elements, is used to buffer water and release it slowly into the ground, instead of transporting the relatively clean water to the sewer. With an absorption capacity of 95 %, stone wool has a considerably higher absorption capacity than alternative infiltration materials, such as lava stone and gravel. As a result, much less material is needed to reach the desired buffer volume.

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The infiltration system can be used alongside or beneath roads as a (small-scale) buffer, but also as line infiltration. This means a narrow buffer is laid along the entire length of the road. The Rockflow stone wool application has been used successfully as a rainwater drain with a total length of almost 3 kilometres beneath residential streets in Maasbracht in the district of Limburg. If the line infiltration is installed alongside the road surface, the verge can remain compact and it is not necessary to excavate the road surface to install or adapt the infiltration system.

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The benefits of Rockflow applications alongside and beneath the road

The number of extreme downpours is increasing in our country. To prevent flooding and overloading of the combined sewer by the release of clean rainwater, decoupling rainwater drainage from the sewer is becoming increasingly common. This is possible using the Rockflow infiltration system alongside or beneath roads. Thanks to the high load-bearing capacity of the innovative infiltration system, it can be installed relatively close beneath the surface of a road. This means it can also be used in areas with a high groundwater level. Another significant benefit of this infiltration system is its long life. For example, did you know that stone wool has already been used successfully for more than forty years beneath train tracks and it is still working? Furthermore, stone wool is easy to process and adapt. Will it be necessary in the future to install extra cables or pipes, for example due to the decoupling of natural gas? If so, the stone wool elements can simply be sawn or drilled through, without any loss of functionality. This makes the system totally future-proof: a significant benefit for highways authorities.

When rainwater falls on unpaved surfaces, it can usually soak into the ground. But if the rainwater falls on paved surfaces such as roads, it also has to go somewhere, which can cause serious overloading.

Would you like to know more about what Rockflow can do for you for use alongside and beneath roads?

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Rockflow applications

The innovative Rockflow system is applied to roads, streets, squares, parks, wadis and industrial estates.

water management, case, construction, solution, lapinus

Rockflow infiltration systems

Squares and car parks

Urban areas are largely paved by roads, squares and parking places. The risk of flooding is greatest in these paved areas. Rockflow limits the risk of flooding on squares and parking spaces, even during extreme rainfall.

Parks and wadis

In residential areas, a wadi must be relatively deep to function properly, which can lead to unsafe situations and difficult maintenance. With Rockflow stone wool elements, a wadi can be made shallower, without loss of capacity and the green appearance.