Soakaway Crates For Infiltration

Soakaway crates are used in an infiltration application as an underground void for storing stormwater until it is slowly dispersed into the surrounding soil. This is a common application used in domestic settings. Each crate is made from recycled polypropylene and has a void ratio of 95%, allowing for maximum storm water storage whereas traditional pipe and gravel based soakaway pits only feature a void ratio of approximately 30%. Rainsmart offers two types of soakaway crates; standard and heavy, with each type being designed specifically for underground stormwater storage and infiltration in different urban environments.

Both types of crate can be ordered flat-packed for construction on site. These easy to assemble crates not only allow for a quick and easy installation, but space and time can be saved on-site when the crates are stored in their flat-packed state. In an infiltration application, the soakaway crate is wrapped in a non-woven geotextile membrane and connected to a property or pre-filter with 110mm drainage pipes.

What is infiltration drainage?

An infiltration drainage application is used for holding stormwater underground and allowing it to disperse, or infiltrate into the surrounding soil at a controlled rate with the highest quality of water possible. Stormwater usually enters the system from the guttering of a property, once it flows through the downpipe and into the underground drainage pipes, it can enter an infiltration system.

An infiltration system will most often start with a pre-filter that removes any silt or fine sediment in the water, before allowing it to flow into the main part of the system, that being a soakaway crate wrapped in a membrane. The crate is where the water is temporarily stored and the membrane surrounding it ensures not only that the surrounding soil does not make its way into the system but also that the stormwater leaves the system at a controlled rate.