Technical and aesthetic drainage solution

A few months ago I had the chance to visit the French city of Rennes on a business trip attending an industry fair. We all know business trips are not holidays, but if you are lucky, you can steal a few moments to enjoy yourself.

Today I would like to tell you about my favourite place, should you visit the city one day, and while I am at it, I will also tell you about a project where we supplied drainage solutions.  

If you visit Rennes, the one place you must see is Place Sainte-Anne, located in the northern part of the city’s old town. This square is home to an enormous church called the Basilique Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle de Rennes.

If you appreciate urban landscapes as I do, I guarantee you that the beauty of this square will astound you. Moreover, if you also enjoy good food, this area is full of bars and restaurants with a fantastic atmosphere. My mouth starts watering as soon as I think of the savoury crêpes I tasted in the square, which are typical to Brittany.

Now onto the project. 

In this spectacular square, we installed ULMA drainage channel systems with two objectives in mind: to provide a technical solution for draining rainwater, and to do so using an aesthetically pleasing grating. 

Technical drainage: MultiV+ channels (and why they should interest you)

First, I will tell you about our most widely used system - MultiV

• Durability over time: Made from polymer concrete, they are up to four times more durable than traditional concrete channels.  As such, the drainage system will last much longer. 
• Reduced cleaning costs: the optimised V-shaped channel causes the water to drain faster, helping to remove sediment more effectively and thus provide self-cleaning properties. In other words, these channels require less maintenance because they clean themselves. 
• Savings on labour costs: thanks to the Rapidlock® screw-free fixing system, the grating can be fixed to the channel in just a second, with no need for tools. Quick and easy.

For Saint-Anne we supplied two different models from the MultiV+ range: The R200GH1 channel model with a mixed slope and low-profile channels. 

The mixed slope—which is presloped but, also with a cascaded slope—is perfect for draining long sections, as it optimises the hydraulic capacity. Installations with a slope also have another added benefit enabling the channels to be connected to the existing water network.  

In addition, for cases where a low water supply line was required we chose the R200GH8 low-profile channels. The external width of these channels is 236 mm and the total height is 80 mm. 

So, how did we meet the aesthetic part of this challenge?

Looking for a technical and aesthetic drainage solution? Contact us here.

Since this is an urban environment, the appearance of the grating was an important factor. In this case we installed heel-proof longitudinal slotted gratings – maybe we should advise the part number of this grating ?. This type of grating is equipped with 45° water directing slits and pivots and has a catchment area of 720.55 cm²/ML.

So now you know: if you visit Rennes, make sure you stop by Place Sainte-Anne to appreciate the urban landscape, enjoy a crêpe and, while you're there, look down and you'll see our drainage solutions ;-p