A hospital in Syracuse, N.Y., used a custom solution by EJ to solve a problem with storm drains in an aging parking deck.
“This is an active parking deck with a constant flow of emergency vehicles, and our construction windows were short,” said Jim Palumbo, RLA, landscape architect and project manager for Klepper, Hahn & Hyatt. “And the deck is directly over operating rooms and sterile storage areas, which of course have to be clean and dry at all times.”
In this parking deck, storm water is drained by a network of pipes that pass through a membrane waterproofing system, and then through operating rooms and storage areas. The original drains clogged and ponded, and the hospital needed a better solution.
The architect was looking for a straining system that would catch sediment at the drainage grate and prevent clogging. It needed to be easy to maintain, durable, adjustable for quick installation, and aesthetically appealing.
Palumbo approached EJ about a custom solution and the company proposed a grate with adjustability and a strainer system. The architect approved the design and EJ delivered four drains within three weeks. The round grate looks conventional from the parking deck, but it has a strainer basket below it that is easy to remove and clean.
To facilitate rapid installation, EJ created the drains with 3-ft pipe extensions, a rubber boot and set screws. On installation day, the pipe extension was cut to length and the boot and set screws held the grate at final grade, while the membrane system was lapped around the drain joint and new concrete was poured.
The team at EJ received an Excellence in Concrete Design & Installation award from the American Concrete Institute for the project in 2015.
