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Beginners guide to linear drainage systems (incl. slot drains & channel drains)
03
Apr
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4/7/2020 Beginner's Guide to Linear Drainage Systems
Surface water management is the process of managing the course water takes over land to prevent
flooding. Surface water flooding occurs when intense rainfall overwhelms drainage capacities.
Good surface water management is about making sure that rain can drain effectively through our
environment.
There are a number of different methods used to manage surface water runoff, including linear
drainage systems like channel drainage (https://www.cotterillcivils.co.uk/trade-counter/channel-
drainage/) and slot drains (https://www.cotterillcivils.co.uk/slot-drain/), traditional gullys, open dish
channels and french drains. Channel drainage, linear drainage and slot drainage are often used
interchangeably to describe linear drainage systems but there are distinct differences between
them. Collectively they are all Linear drainage systems, meaning they collect surface water runoff
along their entire length, as opposed to traditional gullies which collect at single small points.
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4/7/2020 Beginner's Guide to Linear Drainage Systems
The channel body of these systems can be manufactured in Polymer Concrete, Concrete Plastic or
Steel. Whilst the grate can be manufactured in Polypropylene (plastic), Ductile iron, Cast iron,
Stainless steel, Stainless ductile, Galvanised steel, Aluminium or Concrete/stone. The grates can
also be heel guard (to prevent shoe heels from becoming stuck in the grate), perforated, slotted,
decorative, solid and permeable.
As with channel systems, the materials used to manufacture slot drains can vary from polymer
concrete to plastic and steel.
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4/7/2020 Beginner's Guide to Linear Drainage Systems
1. Sleeker design
In contrast to channel drainage (https://www.cotterillcivils.co.uk/trade-counter/channel-
drainage/), which is wider and covered in heavy grates, slot drains
(https://www.cotterillcivils.co.uk/slot-drain/) are much narrower with less material visible.
Their less obtrusive design makes them more aesthetically pleasing.
2. More cost effective
When it comes to maintenance, slot drains (https://www.cotterillcivils.co.uk/slot-drain/) are
considered much easier to clean. As you only need to clean the drain itself, without worrying
about also removing the grate and cleaning that too, it takes less time to clean, saving you
on costs.
3. Control odour
Channel drains have much wider channels and often they are also not sloped, which means
standing water and sediment can build up over time, leading to bad smells. As they are also
harder to clean, there is also the possibility of residue waste not being completely removed.
4. Fewer replacements
Over time grates can begin to deteriorate and corrode, making them less effective in
protecting your drainage system. With a slot system, no grates are required so you don’t
need to worry about their condition.
5. Safer
The heavy nature of grates in channel drain systems means that they are difficult to remove
and if done incorrectly can lead to injury. Grates can also break from wear-and-tear or by
having too heavy of a load placed on them.
At Cotterill Civils, we supply a wide range of surface water management systems. These include
both channel drainage (https://www.cotterillcivils.co.uk/trade-counter/channel-drainage/) and slot
drain (https://www.cotterillcivils.co.uk/slot-drain/) systems from some of the UK’s leading
manufacturers.
Speak to our team of specialists to get expert advice on which system is best for your application.
Call us today on 0121 351 3230 (tel:0121%20351%203230)
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Cotterill Civils (https://www.cotterillcivils.co.uk/author/seosilly/)
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