Published on 14 September 2012 [
manilatimes.net ]
Written by MADELAINE B. MIRAFLOR
As it
continues to launch projects in different parts of the country, property developer
giant Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) will start applying “infiltration strips” for its
developments, which is a new and sustainable solution to storm water
management.
“Infiltration
strips are functional engineering solutions that have become synonymous with
intelligent urban planning among the top cities of the world,” said Tony
Aquino, president and chief executive officer of ALI.
“Ayala Land
is pioneering this technology in the Philippines as a permanent fixture in
future developments, starting with our newest large-scale urban project in
Quezon City,” he added, referring to the real estate company’s 29-hectare
development that is touted to be Quezon City Central Business District’s City
Center: Vertis North.
Infiltration
strips function in two ways—as storm water management system and as urban
landscape elements, and incorporating both makes the street system smarter
without compromising aesthetic qualities that are important to street life and
vibrant communities, Aquino added.
As a storm
water management system, infiltration strips function as a detention and
filtering device that regulates the release of storm water to rivers and
waterways. Reducing storm water run-off minimizes effects of flooding into
adjacent low-lying communities.
Infiltration
strips also provides time for water to get absorbed by the ground and air
through evaporation, which are relatively easy to design and build, and require
low-maintenance effort while also adding a greener, more visually appealing
effect to a specific area.
“The
Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons every year. When rain comes,
about 10 percent of the rainwater goes back to the atmosphere while only close
to 5 percent is absorbed by the soil and the remaining chunk is what become
flood water. Infiltration stripes are designed to simulate the natural flow of
storm water in the forest, while also conveniently allowing us to use storm
water as a potable resource,” said Aquino.
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