Storm Water Solution Aids Post-Katrina Rebuilding of Annex Complex

As the Mississippi Gulf Coast recovers after Hurricane Katrina’s extensive damages, Hancock County, Miss., received the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to replace five severely damaged county buildings in Bay St. Louis.

The construction of a new Hancock County Annex Complex on a 10.4-acre site took place during the first phase of the project. The complex included a 28,600-sq-ft Government Annex building and a 21,600 sq. ft. Human Services building. The complex is considered a critical action under the FEMA regulations, so both buildings were elevated above the 500-year floodplain to a finished floor elevation of 23.1 ft above mean sea level.

The engineers at Compton Engineering Inc. designed a storm water system to limit the post-development rate of runoff to no greater than pre-development levels.

The Cultec Recharger V8 underground chamber system was able to retain a maximum amount of runoff without taking up a lot of space. The Recharger V8 features the company’s internal manifold, which allows for extra design flexibility and decreased installation footprint. Specifically designed for use in high-traffic applications, the Recharger V8 is IAPMO R&T-certified and protected by a 10-year warranty.

“We had to factor in the lack of land in our storm water system design, and the Cultec system afforded the flexibility of installing the chambers in multiple beds,” said John Studstill, P.E. at Compton Engineering Inc. “The system is fairly inexpensive, an additional benefit.”

The system employed 667 Recharger V8 units to provide 45,232 cu ft of storage. According to Michael Nowak, a consultant for Cultec, the Recharger V8 system needed 33% less gravel than other prospective systems did.

Overall, the Cultec system turned out to be the most cost-effective solution for the project, saving Keith Waits Construction Inc. about 15% off the project cost as compared to the other prospective system.

At the Hancock County Annex Complex, the Cultec chambers also serve as a conveyance system carrying runoff to the storm water outlet. Other best management practices such as silt fences and re-vegetation of bare soils were also implemented on site to minimize runoff.

Source: Cultec