Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, MD

 

Case study in space-efficient biofiltration system

A large expansion was planned for the Kaufman Cancer Center in Bel Air, MD, in an attempt to modernize and grow their health care offerings. The expansion required a large parking area in addition to a bioretention system to meet stormwater requirements.

 

Unfortunately, a traditional bioretention system would reduce the amount of parking spots available, so the team hoped to use a more space-efficient solution to meet stormwater needs and maximize the amount of parking spaces at the medical facility.

 

Solution and installation: FocalPoint

The site engineer suggested using FocalPoint biofiltration system instead, as it would treat the same quantity of stormwater while shrinking the footprint by 70-80% and the ponding area by 50%. As a result, 1,078 square feet of FocalPoint was installed throughout 12 areas within the three lots.

 

In addition, expanded R-Tank underground stormwater systems were included, with 2,062 R-Tank modules used to help meet stormwater regulations, offer channel protection, and provide stormwater storage to reduce the likelihood of any flooding or ponding in the lot.

 

In order to protect the system, nine Rain Guardian Turrets were installed for pretreatment (with a focus on low-lying areas) and 12 Beehive Overflow filters were installed for protection against heavy rain events.

 

Once the installation was finished, the FocalPoint biofiltration systems were “capped and covered” with a geotextile for the remainder of construction to protect them from heavy construction sediment loads. The geotextile was removed for system activation when construction finished, with the mulch, plantings and gravel added to create the ponding areas and nutrient uptake.

 

A huge benefit of this system is that the mulch and plantings create aesthetically pleasing areas, so the average visitor or patient would not recognize them as part of a stormwater system.

 

Results

The high flow rate “k-factor” of the FocalPoint media bed allowed for the bioretention footprint sizes to be shrunk drastically, maximizing the amount of parking spots available and helping meet the client’s parking area goals. Maintenance has been simple and the client is pleased with the outcome.

 

Visit ferguson.com/waterworks to learn more about innovative solutions in the water, sanitary sewer and stormwater management industries.