InfoDrainage


  • What is a bioretention system and how does it help control stormwater runoff?

    Bioretention is a stormwater management practice that harnesses natural processes to treat and manage stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as rooftops, driveways, and parking lots. If you live in a city, you may have seen many of these types of systems. By utilizing a combination of vegetation, soil, and beneficial microorganisms, bioretention systems capture,…


  • New in InfoDrainage 2026.1: ‘AutoProfiling’ generates drainage profiles for you

    The latest release of InfoDrainage, version 2026.1, brings a suite of new features and improvements that enhance the efficiency and accuracy of your drainage design workflows. The standout feature for this release is AutoProfiling, which simplifies the creation and management of flow paths and drainage profiles. Streamlining drainage profiles with AutoProfiling In the realm of…


  • XPSWMM vs. InfoWorks ICM vs. InfoDrainage: Which solution do you need?

    First released for Windows in 1997, XPSWMM aided stormwater and flood professionals in taking on the water challenges of its time. It was an incredibly powerful tool that the water industry adopted to solve the challenges it faced. But time and software development always marches on. Over time, most users adopted more powerful solutions like…


  • ASCE 2025 Infrastructure Report Card for America: How did water do?

    The highly anticipated ASCE 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure has just been released. How did America do? How did water do? Since 1998, the American Society of Civil Engineers has released these assessments every four years, providing both a grade score and an in-depth evaluation of the nation’s infrastructure, highlighting both advancements and areas…


  • Do you need a Rainwater Management Plan? This Irish manual provides excellent guidance.

    Anthony McCloy is the managing director of McCloy Consulting and regularly speaks at conferences and seminars, provides university lectures, delivers national SuDS training workshops and has recently contributed to Ireland’s Rainwater Management Plans: Guidance for Local Authorities. Does your municipality need an RMP – a Rainwater Management Plan? In the UK, there are lots of…


  • How does cellular storage work for stormwater control?

    Certain stormwater controls are designed in ways that effectively divert water away from a site – but not cellular storage systems. Sometimes also called geocellular systems, geocellular attenuation tanks, or soakaway tanks, these Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS – aka LIDs/BMPs/WSUDs) capture stormwater in large underground containers that act as a reservoir for stormwater, temporarily storing…


  • The benefits of porous pavement in drainage design

    Sometimes called permeable pavement, porous pavement is an innovative and environmentally friendly approach to managing stormwater runoff in urban areas. As cities have grown, the sheer number of impermeable surfaces like roads, parking lots, and sidewalks has only increased, leaving traditional drainage systems struggling to cope with the volume of runoff. It leads to increased…


  • What is a swale – and how do they manage stormwater?

    Swales are essential components in modern drainage design and play a significant role in managing stormwater runoff, rainwater runoff, and promoting sustainable drainage practices. These shallow, vegetated channels are designed to slow down, capture, and filter stormwater by controlling the flow of water through the swale, reducing the risk of flooding and improving water quality.…


  • How does InfoDrainage compare to HydroCAD, TR-20 & TR-55?

    In the world of stormwater management and drainage design, selecting the right software tool is crucial for effective planning, analysis, and implementation. Among the myriad of options available in the water industry, we often get asked how Autodesk InfoDrainage compares to potential alternatives like HydroCAD, TR-20, and TR-55. Each of these tools offers unique features…


  • What is an infiltration trench and how does it work?

    As the world’s drainage challenges grow, designers are constantly looking for new ways to handle stormwater. Commonly known as stormwater controls (SWCs), a subset of sustainable drainage systems, known as SuDS (LIDs/BMPs/WSUDs), have grown popular globally. SuDS work with nature, rather than against, and can be seen as more sustainable means of handling stormwater inflow…