Stormwater management at Danmarksplass, Bergen

• Main Author: Instanes, Eirik Horvei
• Other Authors: Tarigan, Ari Krisna Mawari
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Stavanger, Norway 2020
• Subjects: urban design; byplanlegging; klimaendringer; overvannshåndtering; VDP::Samfunnsvitenskap: 200::Urbanisme og fysisk planlegging: 230; Northern Norway
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2680974

Master's thesis in City and regional planning Stormwater management has increasingly become more important in recent times in urban planning. One of the reasons for this is climate change. More rainfall is occurring in form of more frequent, intense rainfall, and research say this trend will continue. This is especially true for western Norway and northern Norway, which will experience the greatest increase in rainfall. Something else, which has also made stormwater management more important, is the desire to densify along central areas and public transport axes due to the population growth. As a result, green permeable areas have been replaced with dense impermeable surfaces. Dense impermeable surfaces lead to less infiltration and a higher runoff velocity. When densification and climate change occur simultaneously without upgrading the stormwater infrastructure, problems often arise. This has particularly significant consequences when the piping infrastructure is shared by stormwater and sewage. The underpass at Danmarksplass in Bergen is one of the areas which are struggling with floods following major rainfall events. The piping infrastructure is mostly shared by stormwater and sewage, and the infrastructure is not well enough equipped for neither today's nor future’s rainfall events. During the night before 26.09.2018, a heavy rainfall occurred, and the underpass was once againwith water. This rainfall is considered as an event that statistically occurs every 5 years. The rainfall was much less intense than the type of rainfall the underpass in theory should be dimensioned for. Since the underpass is so important and highly trafficked by pedestrians and cyclists, measures should be made to improve the stormwater management at Danmarksplass. To find the answer to why the underpass is struggling with floods and what solves the problem best, there has been done a literature study, an inspection of the area, an analysis with calculations, and finally a discussion. There has been made research on planning ...