Swallows Business Park – North

The Swallows Business Park in Hailsham, East Sussex, continues its expansion towards the north of the site, with new Phases under construction. Monson Engineering has continued to provide civil and structural design services for the development of the park. For more information about Swallows Business Park, see at the end of this post page.

Our Civil Engineering involvement has covered vital areas of the design from planning through to construction. This post will cover a specific summary of the following services we have undertaken during the latest phase of the project:

1. Drainage Strategy

2. Flood Risk Assessment

3. Existing Drainage Infrastructure assessment

4. Digital Terrain Modelling

Drainage Strategy

To support the planning application for the next phase of the business park development, covering 5.5 hectares, Monson produced a comprehensive site-specific Drainage Strategy Report. This report outlined how both surface water and foul water would be managed on-site, ensuring that the development’s drainage needs are met efficiently and sustainably.

Key components of the strategy included Surface Water Management and Foul Water Disposal

Surface Water Management

We undertook detailed proposals for how surface water runoff will be managed through sustainable drainage solutions (SuDS) and integrated systems.

Foul Water Disposal

Our strategy also outlined how foul water would be safely conveyed and treated within the site's infrastructure

Flood Risk Assessment

Monson also conducted a thorough Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) to demonstrate that the proposed business park development would not be at risk of flooding. The FRA confirmed that the development would be designed in such a way that it would not increase the risk of flooding either on-site or to surrounding areas.

Our Assessment included Flood Risk Mitigation Measures, which consist of recommendations and design adjustments to mitigate any potential floor risks, ensuring that the development would be resilient to future flooding events

In addition, as part of the flood risk evaluation, Monson assessed the natural receptors of surface water runoff (such as nearby watercourses or drainage systems), confirming that runoff from the site would not overload or cause harm to these natural systems.

Review of existing drainage infrastructure

Monson undertook a detailed review of the existing drainage infrastructure both on-site and in the surrounding area.

Key tasks included the review of Existing Drainage Systems, Proximity to Existing Infrastructure and Runoff Pathways

Existing Drainage Systems: An assessment of the current drainage systems in place to ensure they could handle the additional load generated by the new development.

Proximity to Existing Infrastructure: An evaluation of nearby drainage systems and how they could be integrated with the new site’s drainage strategy to avoid overloading or interference with existing infrastructure.

Runoff Pathways: Analysis of the natural pathways for surface water runoff to ensure that the site’s drainage design would align with and not disrupt natural water flow.

Optimization of Site Development with Digital Terrain Modelling

As part of the design process for the latest 5-hectare commercial development phase at Lower Dicker, Monson created a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) to represent both the existing and proposed site conditions accurately. This model played a crucial role in ensuring that the development was maximized, while minimizing the need for extensive earthworks.

Key Contributions in this task included the following:

Digital Terrain Model (DTM) Creation

Monson developed a detailed DTM of the site, mapping the existing topography and providing a clear representation of how the land would be modified for the development. This model enabled precise calculations of site levels and helped visualise the proposed changes in elevation.

Maximizing Development Potential

The DTM was used to identify areas of the site that could be optimally developed with minimal disruption to the natural landscape. By accurately modelling the existing terrain, Monson was able to maximise the available land for development, ensuring efficient use of space while maintaining the overall design intent.

Minimizing Earth Movement

A key objective was to minimise earth movement during construction. By integrating the existing and proposed terrain models, Monson could refine the grading plan to reduce the amount of cut and fill required. This not only helped to reduce the cost and environmental impact of earthworks but also contributed to a more sustainable construction process by limiting soil disturbance.