Linear channel drainage systems provide an excellent solution for efficiently removing surface water from large areas and openings such as laneways, paved areas and garage entrances. When selecting a system, consideration should be taken to the application and load class requirements.

Commercial projects often see more traffic, specifically heavy-duty traffic such as delivery vehicles. To ensure that a drainage system is adequately designed for heavy vehicles, load class ratings (AS3996) should be referenced. Concrete encasement and different grate designs will have varying load class ratings dependant on the material they're constructed from and the level of engineering that has gone into design and manufacturing.

General load class ratings go from Class A to Class E. Typical light vehicles such as cars and utes in a residential situation will be Class B (2,670 kg wheel loads). A commercial situation can require load ratings from Class C (5,000 kg wheel loads) right up to Class E (13,700 kg wheel loads). Channel drains also gain their strength from the concrete surround, therefore while the grate load class is imperative so is the concrete encasement.

Allproof channels are designed to have a minimum of 100 mm concrete surround for load Class A up to a minimum of 200 mm for Class E. This encasement is often checked off by an engineer as the trench created by the channel and its encasement can have an effect on structural slabs.

For the full article, including design scenarios to help identify how this can impact product selections, vist allproof.com.au