The Construction and Civil Engineering Training Courses provides practical knowledge for planning, designing, assessing, and maintaining drainage solutions that manage surface water sustainably. The course covers stormwater control, runoff management, flood mitigation, urban drainage design, water quality, site assessment, and SuDS performance.

Delivered by The British Academy For Training and Development, this course sits within Engineering Maintenance and Operation and focuses on sustainable approaches to stormwater and water management. Participants develop the technical understanding required to integrate SuDS into development projects, evaluate flood risks, coordinate implementation, and support effective project completion and long-term operation.

• Understand the principles, objectives, and applications of Sustainable Drainage Systems.
• Assess rainfall, runoff, site characteristics, and surface-water risks.
• Apply SuDS planning principles to new developments and urban regeneration projects.
• Select appropriate SuDS components according to site conditions and drainage requirements.
• Design systems for attenuation, infiltration, conveyance, treatment, and discharge control.
• Evaluate flood risk and develop practical flood mitigation measures.
• Understand urban drainage planning, hydraulic considerations, and water-management requirements.
• Integrate SuDS into wider infrastructure, landscape, and development plans.
• Assess maintenance requirements and operational performance.
• Understand commissioning, punch lists, documentation, and project completion requirements for SuDS installations.
• Identify common design, construction, maintenance, and operational problems.
• Apply monitoring and performance-assessment approaches to sustainable drainage assets.

Target Audience

This course is designed for:

• Civil and drainage engineers.
• Stormwater and flood-risk specialists.
• Water-management professionals.
• Infrastructure and development consultants.
• Urban planners and environmental professionals.
• Construction and project managers.
• Site engineers and engineering maintenance personnel.
• Local authority and municipal drainage professionals.
• Facilities and infrastructure managers.
• Professionals involved in SuDS planning, design, construction, commissioning, and maintenance.

Module 1: Fundamentals of Sustainable Drainage Systems

• Definition and principles of Sustainable Drainage Systems.
• Objectives of sustainable stormwater management.
• Conventional drainage versus SuDS.
• SuDS hierarchy and treatment trains.
• Relationship between drainage, flood mitigation, and water management.

Module 2: SuDS Planning and Site Assessment

• Site investigation requirements.
• Catchment characteristics and drainage constraints.
• Rainfall, runoff, and impermeable-area assessment.
• Soil conditions and infiltration potential.
• Groundwater and environmental considerations.
• Planning considerations for urban developments.

Module 3: SuDS Design Principles

• Surface-water flow and runoff management.
• Hydraulic design fundamentals.
• Storage and attenuation requirements.
• Infiltration and discharge controls.
• Conveyance and exceedance routes.
• Designing for resilience and long-term performance.

Module 4: SuDS Components and Applications

• Permeable and porous surfaces.
• Swales and filter strips.
• Bioretention systems and rain gardens.
• Detention and retention ponds.
• Infiltration systems.
• Constructed wetlands.
• Green roofs and rainwater harvesting.
• Selection of components according to site requirements.

Module 5: Flood Risk Management and Mitigation

• Principles of flood-risk assessment.
• Surface-water flood mechanisms.
• Flood pathways and critical drainage areas.
• Peak-flow reduction and storage.
• Exceedance management.
• Flood mitigation measures for urban environments.
• Integrating SuDS with wider flood-management strategies.

Module 6: Urban Drainage and Water Quality Management

• Urban drainage challenges.
• Pollutant sources in surface runoff.
• Water-quality treatment through SuDS.
• Sediment and contaminant management.
• Sustainable water-management strategies.
• Integration of drainage systems with urban infrastructure.

Module 7: Construction, Commissioning and Project Completion

• Translating SuDS designs into construction requirements.
• Quality control during installation.
• Inspection and testing requirements.
• Commissioning, punch lists, documentation, and project completion.
• Handover requirements and asset information.
• Identifying construction defects and incomplete works.
• Preparing systems for operational use.

Module 8: SuDS Maintenance and Operational Management

• Routine inspection and maintenance.
• Vegetation, sediment, blockage, and erosion management.
• Maintaining hydraulic performance.
• Asset condition assessment.
• Maintenance scheduling and records.
• Monitoring system performance.
• Corrective actions and long-term operational planning.

Module 9: Practical SuDS Applications and Case Studies

• Residential and commercial developments.
• Roads, car parks, and transport infrastructure.
• Urban regeneration projects.
• Public spaces and landscape schemes.
• Flood-prone urban areas.
• Practical evaluation of SuDS design and management decisions.