Commercial Drainage
Multi-Flow drainage systems are great for drainage in commercial landscape settings. Contractors use them beneficially in landscapes, along driveways and sidewalks, near foundations and retaining walls, in rooftop gardens and in planters but also as a tool to provide drainage in a construction site and to maintain foundation integrity throughout the life of a building.
The growth of Multi-Flow usage is part of a larger trend toward more extensive and intensive drainage in planters, gardens, and other landscape settings. Heavy use or maintenance during saturated conditions compacts the soil and threatens the plant life. Property managers increasingly want to keep grass, shrubs, trees, and flowers on their entire property healthy, attractive and available for use. Healthy landscapes are vital for a healthy bottom line.
Cemetery drainage is an excellent example of commercial drainage using Multi-Flow to good advantage. Frequently additional drainage is urgently needed but space is very limited. Multi-Flow is the natural choice in addressing this challenge.
Selecting an installation profile
If a trench is needed, vertical is the orientation of choice. Multi-Flow can be installed horizontally where construction requires the top soil to be stripped away to a clay base and new fill is hauled in. In these cases, Multi-Flow is rolled out horizontally and the time and cost of trenching can be by-passed.
Commonly, planters and rooftop gardens are drained using horizontally installed Multi-Flow.
Advantages of Multi-Flow for your commercial drainage project
Whether it is for new construction or addressing an existing problem, Multi-Flow is a wise choice because Multi-Flow is 1) effective 2) convenient 3) durable and 4) affordable.
1. Affordable – A completed Multi-Flow system typically costs about half as much as a comparable French drain system. Add to that its longer life and Multi-Flow begins to look very attractive! Now factor in the cost of cancelled and rescheduled events and it is a system you cannot afford to live without!
2. Convenient – At least three factors make Multi-Flow a product that gardeners, contractors, and landscape architects love to work with.
Profile – Because of its panel shape, Multi-Flow can be inserted vertically. This means that a trench can be dug with a small walk-behind trencher or in some cases by hand. The result is less excavated material to haul away, less backfill to haul in, less time spent, less damage to the landscaping, and of course, less expense.
When it is installed horizontally, trenching can be eliminated altogether and the low profile keeps the drainage line out of reach of maintenance equipment.
Flexibility – Multi-Flow is easily bent making it convenient to work with, suitable for making tight turns, and easily joined to connectors.
Selection of fittings – Not only are Multi-Flow connectors easy to use, there are a lot of them. Any configuration that is appropriate for a given site can be carried out using one or more of the 60 Multi-Flow connectors.
Strength – Multi-Flow is designed to withstand heavy loads. Able to withstand loads well in excess of 6,000 psf, Multi-Flow is not going to collapse due to heavy surface loads in shallow installations or due to earth weight in deep installations.
Longevity – Blockage is the demise of most drain systems. The Multi-Flow system includes a heavy effective geotextile filter. This high quality fabric acts as an excellent secondary filter, keeping Multi-Flow’s flow channels clean and open. Clean coarse sand acts as a very effective primary filter. Due to its shape, Multi-Flow is easily encased in sand, assuring a long life. When placed in a 4 inch wide trench Multi-Flow is readily protected in this way. This would be difficult if not impossible using French drain methodology.
4. Effective – Commercial drainage systems must be able to collect water and transport water. Multi-Flow excels in both regards:
Water collection system – Water can enter a Multi-Flow drain more readily because Multi-Flow has greater surface area than traditional round pipe. The more drainage product that there is in contact with surrounding saturated soil, the more quickly drainage can take place.
Water transport system – Once water has entered Multi-Flow flow channels, it moves away from the saturated area quickly because the channels are round and unobstructed, unlike those in other panel shaped drains.
