A new drainage staircase design for separating pedestrian traffic and surface runoff: a numerical and conceptual approach
ABSTRACT Cities with rugged topographies, such as Salvador-Bahia, have neighbourhoods that have developed on hillsides, posing challenges for residents, including mobility and drainage. A solution proposed in 1979 became known as the drainage staircase, a structure designed to channel surface runoff...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Associação Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Revista Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2318-03312025000100221&lng=en&tlng=en |
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| Summary: | ABSTRACT Cities with rugged topographies, such as Salvador-Bahia, have neighbourhoods that have developed on hillsides, posing challenges for residents, including mobility and drainage. A solution proposed in 1979 became known as the drainage staircase, a structure designed to channel surface runoff beneath the steps while keeping the upper surface free for pedestrian movement. The original model underwent modifications in the following decades to address issues inherent to local conditions, yet these challenges persist. This study proposes a solution to recurring difficulties associated with classical models by introducing two lowered lateral sections on the steps, relative to the central portion, allowing lateral drainage while enabling pedestrian movement along the central section without competition between flow and users. The results obtained through computational fluid dynamics showed consistency with experimental data regarding dissipated energy and flow regime predictions, confirming the proposed model. The staircase efficiency for the three tested flow conditions—measured by its ability to divert surface runoff to the lateral sections—exceeded 90%, validating the initial hypothesis that the central section remains free for pedestrian movement during rainfall events. Additionally, human body stability was analyzed using existing criteria from the literature alongside the results for the velocity field and flow depths. |
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| ISSN: | 2318-0331 |