STH Hydro-Brake Flow Controls achieve BBA certification

(04/03/2009)

Hydro International has announced that their STH range of Hydro-Brake® Flow Controls has become the first vortex flow control device to be awarded British Board of Agrément certification following a rigorous six month assessment.

“Flow control devices that do not meet the specified performance requirements are a liability,” points out Alex Stephenson, Director of Hydro International’s Stormwater operations. “Hydro has sought BBA certification for STH Hydro-Brake® range to combat the problems caused when engineers specify a vortex flow control without understanding the wide variation in performance between different products.

“Inferior performance increases the flood risk, and special care needs to be taken to ensure that the products purchased by the installer are up to the job. By specifying that the flow control devices must have BBA Certification, engineers can now ensure their flood relief and attenuation schemes will deliver the protection they were designed for.”

All Hydro’s Hydro-Brake® Vortex Flow Control devices fully meet the highest performance specifications to control stormwater flow more safely and effectively than most other flow controls. As the first and only device of its type to receive BBA Certification, the verification of the STH Hydro-Brake®’s performance data means that engineers can specify it without hesitation.

The British Board of Agrément (BBA) has provided a testing and verification service for over 40 years. The BBA is the UK's major approval body for new construction products and its Agrément Certificates are recognised by specifiers and other industry decision-makers as proof of rigorous and impartial assessment, which will allow compliance with appropriate regulations.

Vortex flow control devices use an air-filled core to limit the volume of water flow to a designed constant rate while the head builds up. As the cross-sectional area of the outlet of the Hydro-Brake® Flow Control can be up to six times that of the equivalent orifice plate, maintenance is far easier and there is much less risk of blockage.

The other main advantage is that Hydro-Brake® Flow Controls can reduce the upstream capacity required to accommodate the stored stormwater compared to penstocks and other devices, greatly reducing the capital expenditure on the project.

“The Hydro-Brake® Flow Control has proven itself highly successful on small and large schemes”, points out Alex. “There is a large device at Weedon Bec, near Northampton, that has prevented local flooding since its installation in 2005. Other large Hydro-Brake®s are being installed in Scotland in 2009. For the areas of city and countryside controlled by these flood protection measures, it’s important to get it right.”

Related categories:  Rainwater