Bio-swales

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Author Message Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wyancey Post Number: 322 Registered: 05-2005 Posted on Friday, March 16, 2007 - 10:51 am:    I am working in an urban project that will use a bio-swale for stormwater retention to one side of a city street. Don't ask. The swale will be protected with a vehicular traffic grade grating. For a LEED Silver office building, new construction, shell and core. What MF04 section number/title is most appropriate? I have read Div 33 but cannot come up with a solution other than inventing a new section number/title. There is a prize for the most correct answer, but only after correctly answering a skill testing question. Thanks Wayne George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 272 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Friday, March 16, 2007 - 11:33 am:    No suggestions on the number, but the name should be the work result, "Bio-swaling", right? John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 678 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, March 16, 2007 - 12:23 pm:    The limited amount I know about bio-swales suggests that the work results would be specified in several sections. There'd be some storm water utility piping and subdrainage from the 33 40 00 series. Then you'd have some plantings from the 32 90 00 series. Karen L. Zaterman, CDT Senior Member Username: kittiz Post Number: 28 Registered: 10-2005 Posted on Saturday, March 17, 2007 - 12:08 am:    Tough one, isn't it? I agree with John that a bio-swale covers several sections. Here are my thoughts: Is it really a bio-swale? You described it as something for stormwater retention (33 47 26.16 Retention Basins ?) and if it has a grating over it will the plants that typically grow in a swale grow well? Assuming they'll be OK, maybe it wants to be in one of the unassigned groups between Site Improvements and Wetlands... I guess it depends how it is constructed. I've got one to deal with soon, too, so I'm glad you've brought it up. :-) I already have a planting section so I'm starting to think of using 31 30 00 Earthwork Methods ("includes multiple purposes") to describe the rest of the elements which are stone, geotextile, and plastic drums filled with rock. That is where geosynthetics & riprap are and Gabions have a similar concept at least, if not material, to the drums. John does have a point on the 33 40's though. As it is a drainage system -- just more natural than what we usually see. Although Subdrainage seems to be more about directing water away from something constructed, usually foundations, so I don't think I'd want to use that (unless I'm wrong on that one -- what are Drainage Layers?).