TRACK 1
No Outlet? No Problem! Infiltrate
ABSTRACT
With 42 acres of land and no drainage outlet, RBJ Schelgel Park needed a drainage design that was cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing and capable of managing the regional stormwater for the site.
The City of Kitchener is leading the pack among Ontario municipalities when it comes to handling stormwater runoff. In the case of the RBJ Schelgel Park project, the goal was to maintain the existing gravel infiltration conditions, support the City’s low impact development (LID) policy, and ensure that the stormwater runoff design allows for free play within the park.
The main obstacle to overcome was to ensure that the site and its grading would be capable of handling a large storm event and providing water quality, and would have sufficient storage volume for infiltration.
At the same time, the project required surface infiltration designs that would not impact enjoyment of the park in the case of smaller storm events.
The design process presented many challenges and resulted in unique solutions, with refinements taking place thoughout the design, tender and early construction phases.
The combination of an engaged, committed client and a proactive contractor led to an innovative, usable design that will serve city residents for decades to come.
Learning Objectives
1. Introduce the park and site; frame the unique circumstances on site
2. Introduce some of the issues encountered in the design process and how they were tackled
3. Highlight how a receptive client and a good contractor can make an LID project succeed
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Jennifer Young
Jennifer Young has 13 years of consulting experience, specializing in various aspects of water resources engineering, including low impact development (LID), green infrastructure, and integrated stormwater management planning.
Jennifer has extensive experience in scoping, design, construction and inspection, and monitoring of LID facilities, including roadside and retrofit LID applications. She has completed many projects across Canada and has extensive knowledge of the challenges involved in LID design and construction.
Jennifer has applied her expertise in drafting bylaws, standards, specifications and typical drawings for stormwater green infrastructure, as well as the development of city-wide LID and GI programs and stormwater utilities across Canada.