Skip to main content

ACO’s Qmax Neo drainage for Costa Rica

Stormwater drainage by ACO is keeping dry some access roads for National Route 1, the Carretera Interamericana Norte (North Interamerican Road).
June 16, 2021 Read time: 2 mins
Effective drainage can be achieved using preformed sections that are set in concrete: all images courtesy of © ACO

The route is important and is the northern segment of the Pan-American Highway, which crosses Costa Rica and connects the Central American nations. The route runs through the casco central districts of capital San Jose, linking the city centre with San Jose International, Airport Tobias Bolanos.

In all 2,900m of the ACO Qmax Neo product have been installed on 10 access roads. The ACO Qmax Neo product has been installed on the inside curve to prevent flooding and vehicles aquaplaning during the seasonal four month period of heavy rainfall. The opposite road section drains into an open pitch. The F900 grating was chosen because the design meets the required intake area and the design can be integrated into road surface.

Contractor Pedregal Constructora installed the new Qmax 300 Neo products using concrete to form the structural support around the pre-formed units. The pavement beam feature allowed the positioning of reinforcement and also assisted the flow of concrete through the top part of the product during installation. This job was made easier through the use of an installation jig, which held the product in place.

The sections are placed in excavations, with concrete then being poured around
The sections are placed in excavations, with concrete then being poured around

The ACO DRAIN Qmax Neo is a new member of the ACO Qmax family which now includes the range of sizes of 150mm, 225mm, 300mm, 350mm up to the egg-shaped 550mm, 700mm and 900mm units. The larger sizes offer a substantial retetention volume and collected rainwater can be stored temporarily and then discharged into the sewers system in a controlled manner during heavy rainfall events.

Intergrated gaskets make the channel watertight in accordance with EN 1433. All sizes can be used with tailormade inlet shafts and inspection elements to suit the requirements of the project. For road sections without a camber, this can be delivered using special height adapters to achieve a slope within each channel section.

For more information please email [email protected]

Sponsored content produced in association with ACO Surface Water Management

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • A virtual virtuous circle
    March 19, 2021
    Virtual sensors will allow a safer driving experience and reduce road maintenance costs. Tactile Mobility’s Eitan Grosbard talks to David Arminas
  • Pilosio and CMC Ravenna collaborate on Cornubia Interchange
    June 4, 2019
    The South African branch of the Italian construction company CMC di Ravenna again teamed up with formwork specialist Pilosio to take advantage of Pilosio's solutions. This time it was for construction of a new bridge in the city of Durban, a project named N2/Cornubia Interchange. The overpass will streamline traffic by linking the Umhlanga industrial zone with the Cornubia new development area Tongat. Cornubia is a multibillion rand integrated settlement near Umhlanga, north of Durban, in KwaZulu Natal,
  • Panama road contract extension for construction firm
    June 8, 2018
    Contractor Constructora Meco has been awarded an extension to the package of works it is carrying out in Panama to upgrade the road running through Pedregal, Gonzalillo and Transistmica. The Costa Rican contractor was awarded the extension by Panama’s Ministry of Public Works (MOP). The work involves improvements to an 11km road section that will help improve traffic flow between the east and north of Panama City. The work was originally expected to cost US$97 million but has now increased to $127.8 million
  • Cold road reclamation in South Africa
    July 18, 2012
    Raubex Construction’s new Cat RM500 rotary mixer is proving its worth on a road reclamation work on a South African highway Part of an extensive motorway network some 185km long, South Africa’s ongoing Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GIFP) is creating a modern, world-class toll route system. The new road will provide major impetus to socio-economic growth in the country’s most populous and commercially active region. Being built in stages by the South African National Roads Authority (SANRAL), these r