ResilienTogether is creating a Smart Catchment, through innovative technologies and techniques, to reduce flood risk to people and places, enhance the water environment in the Pix Brook catchment and improve community resilience in the face of climate change.
The project achieves this through a close-knit partnership that collaborate to deliver six inter-related work packages. This case study comes from the Flow Monitoring Work Package which aims to enhance the flow monitoring and telemetry network to improve understanding of flows within the catchment and establish near real-time flow monitoring.
Read more about flood forecasting: Bentobar+ Hydrophilic Waterstop for SuDS Gauge Retrofit: Innovation Case Study
The Innovation
RDN used a Bentobar+ Hydrophilic Waterstop to bed the gauge into the headwall. Used in the construction industry, hydrophilic waterstops are designed to prevent water ingress or egress from concrete structures by expanding when in contact with water to create an impervious seal. They can be used to protect structures from the wear and tear of a constant water flow and maintain structural integrity. Bentobar is designed to create a waterproof seal for up to 6 bar of pressure.
Use of this innovative material made the installation of this temporary gauging station on the Fairfield Attenuation Pond outlet viable. It was installed underwater without the need for permanent concrete and sealants. It meant that the installation could be conducted without the need for holding back the water or drying the attenuation pond