Balancing the local environment.

The State Fairgrounds sits between downtown Columbia, the Olympia neighborhood and the Congaree River basin. This area has long suffered flooding after heavy rainfall, a situation which could have worsened had the thirty acres of parking area been paved over.

To provide a balance between providing a drier and more stable area for those who use this parking area and the surrounding communities and environment, an innovative approach was developed. This involved the installation of underground storage chambers for storm water runoff which would allow much of the water to soak into the ground underneath the parking lot, instead of running off into the surrounding area.

Over 2,500 of the yellow storm water chambers (as seen to the right) were placed, along with piping, on top of beds of gravel and filtration matting, throughout the project. These were included in the plans which were developed by B.P. Barber, manufactured by Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. and supplied by Mainline Supply.

These underground storage chambers aren't the only different approach to this storm water management system. Pollution filtration devices, similar to those used by the company on several projects near marsh and wetlands in the South Carolina Lowcountry, will be installed to further reduce the impact this project has upon the surrounding area.

The combination of these technologies will produce a parking area which can handle the demands of heavy traffic volume year-round while respecting the surrounding communities and protecting the environment.