The geocellular units were installed beneath the roadway on a podium deck, allowing for the creation of an underground car park, providing the space needed to store high volumes whilst making use of valuable space. This was particularly important as the Water Authority now charges for the amount of surface water run-off discharged into the river, so the podium deck plays an important role in reducing this.
When designing the system for New Capital Quay and given its close proximity to the Thames and significant storage capacity, further consideration was applied given that the tide’s behaviour could affect the performance of the system. Therefore, the site was partially tidal locked, ensuring a full and effective storage and attenuation process to mitigate the risk of flooding and tidal breach.
New Capital Quay is living proof that making space for water and designing projects to include green infrastructure make for more pleasant environments that encourage natural wildlife, provide a cleaner, healthier place to relax and enjoy, while helping our urban environments to become more resilient to climate change and urbanisation.