1.

PARTICULAR SPECIFICATIONS
The following Particular Specification is to be read in conjunction with the local authority
guidelines and Dubai Municipality Specification for Storm Water Works. All construction
works and supply of material shall be performed by contractors/sub-contractors and
suppliers approved by DM for storm water works and shall be in accordance with DM
standard specifications.
1.1. General
This specification covers the design, manufacturer, testing, inspection and documentation of
geocellular storage structures and accessories for surface water drainage systems.
1.1.1. Scope of Works
The scope of work for storm water network include the following:

1.1.2. Submittal
The contractor shall obtain the Engineer’s approval before placing orders for materials,
allowing for the limits of the construction program. The following documents shall be
submitted to the Engineer:
1. Product technical data.
2. Geotechnical design report. .
3. Originals of catalogues and engineering data sheets for manufactured items.
4. Each item and option to be provided shall be clearly marked and each item not to be
provided shall be deleted.
5. Documentation to show that products provided meet the requirements for material,
construction, operation and tests.
6. Manufacturer’s installation instructions for all items.
7. Certified reports for all tests and inspections designated herein, signed and sealed,
showing full compliance with referenced standards and Specifications.
8. Maintenance requirements and procedures.
9. Period of guarantee for materials / products.
1.1.3. CODES AND STANDARDS

Code of practice for strengthened / reinforced soils and

BS 8006-1:2010; Annex A
other fills (Structural design guidance

The design of buried concrete box and portal frame

BD 31/01
structures.(Structural design guidance and loading cases

Guidelines for the determination of the long-term strength

PD ISO/TR 20432:2007
of geosynthetics for soil reinforcement

CIRIA C680 (2008) Structural design of modular geocellular drainage tanks

CIRIA 697 (2007) The SUDS manual

Plastics pipework (thermoplastics materials).Code of

practice for the installation of unplasticized PVC pipework
BS 5955-6:1980 for gravity drains and sewers
(Withdrawn 01 January 2009) Replaced By: DD ENV 1401-
3:2001

Plastics piping systems for non-pressure underground

DD ENV 1401-3:2001 drainage and sewerage. Unplasticized poly(vinylchloride)
(PVC-U) Guidance for installation

Building and civil engineering - Vocabulary - Part 2: Spaces,

BS 6100-2:2007
building types, environment and physical planning

Manual of Contract
Documents for Highway
Works Volume 1 Series 600 Earthworks
Specification for
Highway Works

Methods of test for geotextiles. Determination of the tensile

properties using a wide width strip Status: Superseded,
BS 6906-1:1987
Withdrawn Published: December 1987 Replaced By: BS EN
ISO 10319:1996, ISO 10319:1993
BS EN ISO 10319:2008 Geosynthetics - Wide-width tensile test

Methods of test for geotextiles. Determination of the

apparent pore size distribution by dry sieving Status:
BS 6906-2:1989
Superseded, Withdrawn Published: January 1989 Replaced
By: BS EN ISO 12956:2010

Geotextiles and geotextile-related products. Determination

BS EN ISO 12956:2010
of the characteristic opening size

Methods of test for geotextiles. Determination of water flow

normal to the plane of the geotextile under a constant head
BS 6906-3:1989
Status: Superseded, Withdrawn Published: November 1989
Replaced By: BS EN ISO 12958:1999

Geotextiles and geotextile-related products. Determination

BS EN ISO 12958:2010
of water flow capacity in their plane

BS EN 1997-1:2004 Eurocode 7: Geotechnical design Part 1 - General Rules

BS EN 752:2008 Drain and sewer systems outside buildings

CIRIA Special publication Barriers, Liners and cover systems for containment of land
124 contamination
1.2. PRODUCTS
1.2.1. Manufactures
Selection of manufacturer and products should be approved by the Engineer based on
compliance with requirements stipulated in this specification, local specification documents
and the design documents.

1.2.2. GEOCELLULAR UNITS

Geocellular box units shall be manufactured from one of the following virgin materials:
1. Polypropylene.
2. High Density Polyethylene.
3. Polyvinyl Chloride.

The manufacturer shall supply the following test results to the Engineer:
1. Stress / Strain curves for vertical and lateral compression tests to be carried out in
accordance with CIRIA Report C680 at temperatures of 23°C and 40°C.
2. The maximum deflection of a geocellular unit shall be: 1mm per every:
60 N/m2 of applied pressure at 23°C ± 2°C
30 KN/m2 of applied pressure at 40°C ± 5°C

3. Creep test under sustained long term loading to be carried out in accordance with
CIRIA Report C680 at temperatures of 23°C and 40°C.
4. The manufacturer shall carry out short term load tests at different temperatures (23°C,
30°C, 35°C and 40°C) and produce a graph for correction factors for 50 years.

5. The static proof shall be based on the individual correction factor for 40°C.
6. Confirmation of 50-year design life, to be validated by a minimum 300-day creep
test, extrapolated by two orders of magnitude.

All material shall be marked by stamp or other marking, before dispatch from the
manufacturer, displaying the following information as a minimum (where applicable):
1. The manufacturer’s name, initials, or identification mark.
2. The dimensions in millimetres.
3. The classification of material.
4. The date of manufacture and batch number.
5. A stamp, or other marking, to show that the material meets the inspection
requirements at the point of manufacture.
 6. Identification number - the same number shall appear on all record sheets and
documents relating to the manufacture, delivery and testing of that particular
material.
7. The manufacturing standard.

1.2.3. GEOTEXTILES AND GEOMEMBRANES

Geotextiles shall:
1. Have a minimum puncture resistance of 1.200N when determined in accordance
with BS EN ISO 12236.
2. In both machine and cross-machine directions, sustain loads of not less than 5kN/m
at break and have minimum failure strain of 10% when determined in accordance
with BS EN ISO 10319:1996.
3. Have a minimum tear resistance of 200N when determined in accordance with ASTM
standard D4533-91 (1996).
1.3. EXECUTION
1.3.1. DELIVERY, STORAGE, AND HANDLING
Each geocellular unit shall be marked with the manufacturer’s identification.

The transport, handling and storage of materials shall be carried out in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations, subject to the approval of the Engineer.

Effective precautions shall be taken to prevent damage to the geocellular units and other
materials.

During transport:
1. Material shall be well secured and adequately supported.
2. Bolsters and binding of appropriate type shall be used.
3. No material shall overhang the end of a vehicle.
4. Parts made of plastic material shall be covered.

All material shall be subject to inspection by the Engineer on deliver to site and before
storage and installation.

Handling of material shall be in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and

the following:
 1. Handling shall be by use of a fork lift truck or slings (webbing or fabric) not less than
250mm wide.
2. The use of wire rope and chains shall for handling shall not be permitted.
3. Material shall not be dropped or bumped.
4. Material shall not be dragged along the ground.

Materials shall be stored in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and the
following:
1. Material must be stored on a flat, level surface, free from small or sharp objects.
2. Material susceptible to ultra violet degradation shall be stored under an opaque and
well ventilated cover.
3. Material shall not be stacked higher than two rows (one above the other) and shall
be provided with sufficient temporary anchorage to prevent any movement of units.

Material damaged during transportation shall not be accepted and shall be returned to the
supplier.

Material damaged during storage or handling on site shall not be used for installation and
shall be removed from site and replaced by the Contractor at his own expense.

1.3.2. INSTALLATION
Excavation:
1. Shall be undertaken in accordance with local specifications and requirements or as
directed by the Engineer.

Foundation:
1. For shallow single-layered installations, the base of the excavation shall have a sand
or gravel sub-grade layer. The depth and compaction shall be based on the in situ
ground conditions.
2. The sub-base (formation level) of the excavation shall provide a minimum 3 - 5%
minimum CBR.
3. For deeper or multi-layered installations, the base shall be designed by a suitably
qualified person to provide sufficient structural support to the installation. For
attenuation tanks, this shall include the provision of a concrete blinding layer in
accordance with the requirements of the design drawings.

Backfilling:
 1. The method for installation (backfilling) depends on the ground conditions, water
table and whether subject to heavy loads (i.e. traffic).
2. Backfilling around structures shall be undertaken in such manner as to avoid uneven
loading or damage.
3. A coarse sand protection layer, minimum 100mm thick shall be placed over the top
of the units.
4. For attenuation structures, the backfill material shall consist of natural or recycled
coarse aggregate complying with BS EN 13242, maximum size 40mm.
5. For infiltration structures, the backfill material shall consist of a single size aggregate
in accordance with local specifications.
6. Backfill to be compacted in layers, maximum 150mm thick in accordance with the
specialist tank manufacturer's recommendations. Backfill shall be compacted to 95%
of maximum dry density.
7. A geogrid suitable for biaxial loading shall be placed in the backfill above the top of
the structure. The geogrid shall be specified by the designer and shall be located at a
minimum distance of 250mm above the top of the tank.

Geotextiles shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and

the following requirements:
1. Joining of geotextile shall be by overlapping only and all overlaps shall be a minimum
of 500mm.
2. Any punctures or damage to geotextile shall be made good by overlapping with
geotextile of at least 500mm from the edge of the damaged area.

Impermeable geomembrane shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s

recommendations and the following requirements:
1. Joints between adjacent sheets of impermeable geomembrane shall be sealed using
appropriate welding techniques, in accordance with the recommendations of CIRIA
SP 124:1996.
2. Joints shall be tested by non-destructive test methods in accordance with the
recommendations of CIRIA SP 124:1996.
3. Geomembrane will be protected with inner and outer protection fleece with a
minimum weight of 300gm/m.

1.3.3. INSPECTION & TESTING

Testing of materials shall be in accordance with local specifications.
All materials to be used in contact with sewerage or its atmosphere must be shown to
withstand corrosion.

The manufacturer shall carry out testing of materials in accordance with an approved
inspection and test plan. The results of these tests shall be made available to the Engineer
who shall also be permitted to witness some or all of these tests.

Test certificates shall be provided to the Engineer.

In addition to those test specifically required, the Engineer may request additional samples
of any material for testing by the Engineer. All expenses incurred in obtaining samples for
testing shall be borne by the contractor at no additional cost to the contract.

After successful completion of the testing of the equipment the contractor must clean all
equipment and ensure that it is free of debris before handing over to the client.
2. TECHNICAL NOTE
2.1. General
2.1.1. Geocellular Unit Types
The following units may be used (subject to structural design and compliance with
specifications):

1. Injection moulded units with internal columns.

2. Honeycomb structures - subject to confirmation of lateral stability / loading
conditions.

The following types of units shall not be used:

1. Plate structures - due to the requirement for on-site assembly.
2. Plastic profiled sheet structures - due to reliance on strength of welded / glued
joints.

2.1.2. Location of Units

Geocellular tanks shall only be used for installation in the following locations:
1. Open space / landscaped areas - no vehicular access.
2. Car park areas - slow moving and light vehicles only (subject to structural design
check).

Geocellular tanks shall not be located beneath roads.

Minimum depth of cover to units shall be 1,0m (subject to structural design check).

Maximum height of units shall be 2.0m and no more than 3 no. units stacked (subject to
structural design).

2.1.3. Tank Arrangement

Geocellular tanks shall be provided with sediment removal / control facility at the inlet to
reduce the risk of sediment build up within the tank.

Access chambers for inspection (CCTV survey) and cleaning (jetting) shall be provided to
tanks as follows:
 1. Linear geocellular tanks (trench storage / soakaway) - one access at each end and
interim access points as required where a geocellular tank exceeds 100m length.
2. Rectangular (or other shape) tanks - one access at each corner and at interim points
as required to ensure full coverage of the tank.
3. The manufacturer to provide calculations that the tank volume is sufficient to
accommodate the storm water runoff fully within the cells

Access chambers shall be suitable for the type of geocellular tank and should be discussed
with the manufacturer to ensure compatibility.

2.2. MATERIAL
2.2.1. Source Material
Virgin materials only shall be used. The following materials are permitted for use:
1. Polypropylene (PP).
2. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE).
3. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).

Recycled material shall not be used.

2.2.2. Material Testing

Manufacturers shall provide evidence that testing of materials has been undertaken in
accordance with the following standards as minimum requirements:
1. Consultant Specifications.
2. CIRIA Report C680.
3. Material tested and approved by authorities’ laboratories
4. BBA accreditation

Manufacturers shall demonstrate that their products have been used successfully on other
similar projects in the Middle East Region.

2.3. STRUCTURAL DESIGN

Structural design and determination of loads shall be undertaken in accordance with the
following standards:
1. BSEN 1997-1.
2. BD31/01.
 3. Cl RIA Report C680.

Structural design shall account for temporary and permanent loading conditions.

Structural design shall be carried out with consideration to site specific conditions.