Engineering effective flood prevention solutions

Effective flood prevention solutions hinge on intelligent stormwater management. Urban planners increasingly recognize that systems for retention, infiltration, and surface drainage are critical for sustainable development. At the core of our strategy, underground water storage tanks play a pivotal role in our flood control systems, ensuring the efficient management of excess water.

For example, large-scale venues like stadiums rely on our systems to handle immense rainfall without the risk of flash floods. By capturing, storing, and controlling rainwater, these flood prevention solutions keep critical areas operational while contributing to sustainable water management—a practical and eco-friendly approach.

Customized flood control systems for urban resilience

We believe the most effective flood control system is one designed for your specific environment. Through consultative problem-solving and value engineering, we create bespoke solutions that integrate retention, infiltration, and carrier piping. Our custom-made steel pipes, available in various diameters and lengths, create cost-effective systems that reduce spatial requirements and eliminate the need for extra manholes.

Sustainable and cost-effective flood control

  • Significant Cost Advantages: Gain a total cost advantage over competing materials like plastic and concrete, especially for large-scale projects subject to heavy loads, water contamination risks, and space constraints.
  • Superior Sustainability: Our steel-based flood prevention solutions feature an up to 70% lower CO2e footprint compared to similar solutions made of other materials. Furthermore, steel is 100% reusable, aligning with your sustainability goals.
  • Time-Saving Installation: Experience installation times up to 80% faster than traditional methods. This efficiency, paired with simple maintenance access through standard manholes, makes our solution a practical, cost-effective, and sustainable choice for modern stormwater management.

Flood Control Systems: Engineered Steel Solutions for UK Infrastructure

Effective flood control requires integrated systems that attenuate peak flows, store excess water and convey it safely to receiving watercourses — protecting communities, businesses and critical infrastructure from the increasingly severe rainfall events driven by climate change. ViaCon designs and supplies engineered steel flood control systems that combine underground attenuation tanks, retention basins, flow control chambers and large-diameter conveyance pipes into coordinated solutions tailored to each site’s specific flood risk profile.

All ViaCon flood control systems are designed in accordance with the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Environment Agency standing advice on flood risk. Our engineering team works with developers, local authorities and consulting engineers to demonstrate compliance with Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs) and deliver sustainable drainage strategies that satisfy Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) requirements for planning approval.

How ViaCon Flood Control Systems Protect Communities and Assets

ViaCon’s flood control product range addresses every stage of the stormwater management chain. Storm Solutions attenuation tanks store peak rainfall volumes underground, releasing water at controlled greenfield runoff rates via vortex flow controls or orifice plates. For sites requiring larger storage volumes, our corrugated steel tanks deliver spans up to 8 metres with storage capacities from 50 to 50,000+ cubic metres — far exceeding the practical limits of plastic crate systems.

For flood conveyance, HelCor corrugated steel pipes provide high-capacity conduits that channel flood water safely beneath roads, railways and developed areas. Combined with upstream attenuation, these systems reduce peak flood levels while maintaining natural watercourse connectivity. On sites where infiltration is feasible, ViaCon tanks can be designed as combined attenuation-infiltration systems, reducing total discharge volumes and contributing to groundwater recharge in accordance with the SuDS hierarchy.

Applications:

  • Data centres
  • Parking lots
  • Roads
  • Warehouses
  • Logistics centres
  • Parks
  • Housing
  • Schools
  • Supermarkets

Steel: The smarter choice

The strength and sustainability of steel provides durability and lifespan advantages for construction projects.

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Twinstore tanks

ViaCon TwinStore uses geomembrane-lined excavations, perforated geotextile-wrapped joints, and stone backfill to minimize footprint and maximize stormwater storage.

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3-in-1 Solution

The ViaCon 3-in-1 system combines roof drainage, surface water collection, and attenuation into a single, streamlined pipe solution.
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A ViaCon flood control system is an integrated solution designed to manage stormwater and prevent flooding. It goes beyond simple barriers by using engineered components like underground steel tanks for water retention and infiltration, effectively controlling excess water from heavy rainfall to protect infrastructure.

Our flood prevention solutions work by capturing large volumes of stormwater runoff at its source. The water is held in underground storage units and then either released slowly into the municipal drainage system at a manageable rate or allowed to infiltrate naturally into the ground. This process prevents drainage networks from being overwhelmed, which is a common cause of urban flooding.

Yes. Customization is a key part of our offering. Through value engineering, we design bespoke flood control systems that are adapted to your project’s specific challenges, including limited space, heavy load requirements, and unique site layouts, ensuring an efficient and effective solution.

Absolutely. Sustainability is at the core of our design. Our flood control systems are manufactured from steel, which is 100% reusable and has a significantly lower carbon footprint (up to 70% less) than competing materials. By choosing ViaCon, you are investing in a long-lasting and environmentally responsible solution.

Our systems offer a total cost advantage through several factors: significantly faster installation times reduce labor costs, durable materials ensure a long lifespan with minimal maintenance, and efficient design often reduces the overall project footprint and the need for additional components.

Welcome to the ViaCon design toolkit

We have put together a selection of useful tools, calculators, information and downloadable resources to help you find what you need quickly and get the most out of your ViaCon system.

Design toolkit Contact us
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The main types of flood control systems used in UK infrastructure include attenuation tanks (which store peak rainfall underground and release it slowly), retention basins (which hold water permanently or semi-permanently), conveyance systems (large-diameter pipes and culverts that channel flood water safely), infiltration systems (which allow water to soak into the ground), and flow control devices (vortex separators and orifice plates that regulate discharge rates). Most effective flood control schemes combine several of these approaches into an integrated system designed to manage the specific flood risk at each site.

UK flood control systems are designed using rainfall data from the Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH), which provides statistically derived rainfall intensities for return periods from 1-in-1 year up to 1-in-1000 years. Engineers model how a proposed development will change surface water runoff compared with the pre-development greenfield condition, then size attenuation storage and flow control devices to limit post-development discharge to greenfield rates for all design storm events. Climate change allowances (typically 20-40% uplift on rainfall intensity) are applied in accordance with Environment Agency guidance. ViaCon’s design team carries out these calculations and provides fully specified flood control solutions that satisfy planning conditions.