Advantages for Stormwater
General Advantages
High Infiltrative Capability - Perforated sidewalls and full open bottom maximize infiltration capability.
High Removal Rating - CULTEC chambers, a form of infiltration system, have the highest removal rates of phosphorous, nitrogen, lead, zinc, suspended solids and organic carbon when compared to wetlands, water quality ponds, filtering systems and water quality swales.
Structural Integrity - Similar to the aqueducts used by the ancient Romans, the arch design has proven to be one of the strongest structural engineering designs. As a more modern example, a suspension bridge is an upside-down arch with the tension cables acting as the keystone.
Interior Support - CULTEC Stormwater Chambers have interior support panels for added strength.
Chemically Resistant - HDPE is resistant to most chemicals found in stormwater run-off. HDPE is the plastic of choice for the packaging of many everyday chemical solutions such as motor oil, gasoline, carpet cleaners, and lawn chemicals. It is used for the packaging materials because of its high chemical resistance to a large spectrum of chemicals. HDPE also remains resilient in temperatures below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Polyethylene is also resistant to breakdowns normally caused by road salts and sewage. Oil and gasoline are typically found in stormwater run-off from parking lots. Therefore, the stormwater products installed must be chemically resistant in order not to breakdown and cause system failures.
ISO 9001:2000 - CULTEC products are manufactured according to strict ISO 9001:2000 guidelines and quality control.
Shipping - CULTEC Chambers stack on skids for easy shipping, loading and unloading.
Stockpiling - A large system is able to be stockpiled in a small amount of space. It is easy to count materials that are skidded to assure correct inventory counts. Much easier than counting several fittings and pipes. Easier to keep track of inventory.
Advantages over HDPE Pipe
| Product |
Avg. Outside Pipe Diameter or Chamber Height (inches) |
Storage Capacity (cu. ft. / ft.) |
Storage Advantage over Comparable Sized Pipe |
| HVLV F-24 Feed Connector |
12.00 |
0.819 |
1.1% greater than 12" pipe |
| Contactor 100HD |
12.50 |
1.866 |
4.8% greater than 18" pipe |
| Contactor 100 |
12.50 |
1.961 |
10.1 greater than 18" pipe |
| 12" HDPE |
14.45 |
0.810 |
|
| 15" HDPE |
17.57 |
1.220 |
|
| HVLV F-110 Feed Connector |
18.00 |
1.968 |
10.6% greater than 18" pipe |
| Recharger 150 |
18.50 |
2.650 |
48.9% greater than 18" pipe |
| HVLV 180 Header System |
20.50 |
3.445 |
9% greater than 24" pipe |
| 18" HDPE |
21.20 |
1.780 |
|
| Recharger 280 |
26.50 |
6.079 |
23.8% greater than 30" pipe |
| 24" HDPE |
27.80 |
3.160 |
|
| Recharger 330 |
30.50 |
7.459 |
5.5% greater than 36" pipe |
| Recharger V8 |
34.00 |
8.933 |
26.4% greater than 36" pipe |
| HVLV V8 Header System |
34.00 |
8.933 |
26.4% greater than 36" pipe |
| 30" HDPE |
35.10 |
4.910 |
|
| 36" HDPE |
41.70 |
7.070 |
|
| 42" HDPE |
47.70 |
9.350 |
|
CULTEC Chambers have a higher storage capacity in a lower profile product and require less stone than HDPE pipe.
For example, a CULTEC Recharger® 330 is 30.5” tall whereas 30” HDPE pipe has an average outside diameter of 35.1”—4.6” greater than the CULTEC Chamber.
In addition, the storage capacity of a CULTEC Recharger® 330 chamber is over 50% greater than 30” HDPE pipe. Even a 36” HDPE pipe (41.7” outside diameter) can not compete with the CULTEC Recharger® 330 for storage capacity—7.459 cu. ft./ft. versus 7.07 cu. ft./ft.
Spacing between HDPE pipe is 12-inches up to 24-inches in diameter, and half the inside diameter for 30-inch and larger sizes. On the other hand, spacing between CULTEC chambers is typically no more than 6-inches.
|
CULTEC Stormwater Chambers |
Large Diameter Pipe Systems |
| Maintenance |
No maintenance is required on the chambers themselves. All maintenance is to be performed on the collective systems and/or filtering devices. Catch basins should be pumped and emptied regularly. CULTEC promotes the use of its CULTEC STORMFILTER 400 to further clean the water prior to entering the HVLV Header and chamber system. |
Although perforated pipes may be pumped and jetted, the silts and fines are only displaced from their original position within the pipe and forced into the surrounding stone backfill. Therefore, the system is still corroded. This is not an effective maintenance program. |
| Structural Integrity |
No reported failures on any properly installed system since the company began in 1986. |
Incorrect installation can lead to pipe squaring and eventual pipe failure. Proper haunching of the pipe may be difficult if not impossible thereby resulting in open spaces within the system and more probable shifting of pipes. |
| Space Efficiencies and Cost |
CULTEC offers a variety of sizes able to accommodate almost any site constraint. Our higher profile Recharger series makes optimal usage of large storage capacities in a smaller footprint. Our Recharger 330HD chambers may be installed in a multi-layer configuration to reduce the overall land area required. A CULTEC Stormwater system is typically less expensive than equally an sized pipe system |
Able to store large volumes in relatively small areas, however, the overall cost of the system may exceed any benefits. |
We are able to assist you in your design by performing preliminary calculations and supplying AutoCAD layouts free of charge.
| 
