Modifying Aco drainage channels

[Adam2]

We're planning for the next phase on our elevated driveway. So far we have a steel frame and beam/block installed. Next is the concrete which we'll be going to fall into the intended drainage areas. As the finished surface will not applied for a long time (don't want it getting mucked up), we're not putting the drainage channel in yet so will put timbers in their place during the concrete pour.

 

My question is about our drainage solution - as the resin bound (which we think will be more durable than resin bonded) is permeable we need the water that will be ~20mm below the finished surface to drain into the drainage channels. Naturally we need the channel surface to be slightly below finished level so need a way to get the water into the channel. We have a couple of options that I can see

 

1) Use Aco freedeck - seems to be designed for balconies and has side entry for water (~£40/m without grill so maybe more like £45/m)

2) Use regular resin Aco channel and drill 10mm holes along the side about 15-20mm down (£11.04/m)

 

The Freedeck is fine but will cost about £400 more for this area hence looking at creative options.

 

Would appreciate any feedback on the idea of drilling holes each say 250mm into a side of the resin regular channel

 

Regular

 

 

Freedeck

 

 

[Mr Punter]

Some of the resin type stuff is rubbish if you drive over it.  Worth overspeccing if it it taking vehicles, as delivery lorries etc may drive over it.  The slot drain stuff looks very neat.

 

Plastic stuff like RECYFIX PRO 100 is decent and will take high loadings if installed to spec.

[Adam2]

1 hour ago, Mr Punter said:

Worth overspeccing if it it taking vehicles, as delivery lorries etc may drive over it

This will be just cars driving directly over to get in garage so not too much stress, esp if recessed slightly.

 

Any thoughts about drilling into the resin stuff - the Aco product looks pretty robust to me so feels OK for this but thought would be good to see if other ways to do this.

 

Bit more info -

The image below shows the entrance - 2 red blobs, direction of slope arrow and 2 x drain runs in reg wiggly lines - will try and install straighter ?

Fall from entrance to nearest columns is about 400 over 3m and there will be a fall on the concrete of about 200mm over 6m going up the page towards drain channels.

Channel in front of garage entrance will be 750 away from garage doors and there will be a slight fall also from the garage down into this.

 

 

 

[Roundtuit]

The Aco polymer concrete channel isn't very easy to drill to be honest, and it's quite brittle and I think you'd break it if you used a hammer drill.  I put a few in last week; broke the first one trying to break out the 110mm knock-out, so tried drilling the perimeter of the next one out with a 6mm masonry bit. I drilled two holes, switched to hammer and the whole knock-out fell out. Once they're concreted in, they feel solid.  For 11 quid, I'd get one to play with before you commit.

[Adam2]

Ok cheers will do that. I'd have tried a wood bit as I thought was mainly resin, I know it's a mix so will be fun trying this out

[Roundtuit]

Yeah, you could be right; more 'poly' than 'crete'  Good luck!