BREEAM ratings and TarmacDry
What is BREEAM?
BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is a popular environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become a common term to describe a building's environmental performance.
BREEAM ratings and TarmacDry
TarmacDry could help meet sections of BREEAM and increased ratings in the areas of Irrigation, Flood risk and Watercourse Protection.
Flood Risk
BREEAM credits are received for buildings where surface water run-off attenuation measures are specified. TarmacDry can assist with these attenuation methods. Additional credits are also available for attenuation measures where the peak rate of run-off from the site to the watercourses (natural or municipal) is no greater than for the developed site. This would need to follow the Interim Code of Practice for Sustainable Drainage systems (SuDs). CIRIA notes the 100 year return period event with a 6 hour duration. TarmacDry would be evidence to show that surface water run-off has been included to minimise risk of local flooding.
Watercourse Protection
TarmacDry can help to meet BREEAM credits where silt, heavy metals, chemicals or oil pollution need to be reduced from the water. This can be through permeable surfaces with infiltration or attenuation methods. SuDS are specified for use to protect watercourses.
See more in How it works on the differences between attenuation and infiltration methods.
Water and Irrigation
The amount of recycled water usage needs to be calculated for each BREEAM rated project. TarmacDry attenuation methods would mean the amount of recycled water could be added to, helping to meet this requirement.
Commonly in projects, the roof surface area is not large enough to meet the calculated requirement for water collection. In these projects TarmacDry has been used in car parks or surrounding driveways to increase the surface area of the collection of rainwater.
TarmacDry attenuation systems can also be specified with irrigation systems where needed.
TarmacDry usage in the Tarmac Homes project
TarmacDry was specified in the Tarmac Homes project to collect rainwater for use in the garden and home. This is helping the project meet levels 4 and 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The Code 4 home uses an irrigation system for using rainwater in garden soil. The Code 6 house will use rainwater from a TarmacDry storage tank for flushing toilets with the house. Code 6 specifies only 80 litres of water can be used as a minimum per day per person. This means 7.5 points are awarded. More points are awarded if rainwater can be re-used either internally or externally around the house - adding to the minimum water consumption per person.
See more on:
BREEAM assessments
For further details on BREEAM please see their website: www.breeam.org.
If you think TarmacDry could fit the BREEAM requirements for your project, please email tarmacdry@tarmac.co.uk with details or Contact us.
Also see our Bespoke Design service.
