Did all Class A bomber airfields have runway storm drains?

I seem to remember seeing concrete runway gulleys with cast drain covers at Deenthorpe years ago but most intact runways I've inspected recently have no obvious side drainage system. Either they were very careful to just pull up the side gulleys and leave the runways intact or the drains were never there. Does anyone know if concrete storm gulleys were a standard feature of Class A bomber fields or were they an optional feature? Runways only or taxiways too?

Also interested to know if the runway concrete was angled slightly to aid water runoff?

Thanks!

lots of drains still left at Oakley, Bucks on the runways, but dont recall seeing any on the taxiways.

You may want to look at Nine Thousand Miles of Concrete, which is accessible in the members area under research notes (note aa I think)

Yes, I've read that publication thanks. Couldn't find a definitive answer unfortunately.

Perhaps you could take a look at this picture of the Ridgewell taxiway please? Trying to figure out what the dark margins are on the taxiway. Doesn't look like a concrete rain gulley but something is there and consistent on both sides.

Thanks

When the concrete was being removed from North Witham in the 70's I recall a lot of the dispersals were edged in a darker layer of rock, not limestone which was the local stone and seemed to form the hardcore sub base for the concrete. Maybe someone can confirm this observation?

Is the dark stuff at Ridgewell whats known as french drains? Barkston Heath had them.

Philip Gordon Hudson BSc, AMICE was Chief Engineer, Special Section, Air Ministry Directorate-General of Works. In a paper he wrote for 'The Civil Engineer in War' he describes the three types of runway drainage system used throughout the period.

The early method had full-length, cast-iron grills along the edges of the runway. As runway lengths increased it was proving too costly, and iron was in short supply. By 1941 it was replaced by a drainage apron added to the sides of the runways with a French Drain system which stayed until 1944, though improvements and local variations were made.

The apron was covered with a porous tarmac surface; catchpits with cast-iron gratings were provided at frequent intervals as an additional means of conveying the surface water to the French drain constricted under the centre of the tarmac apron. The pits were designed as silt traps. The French drain served the dual purpose of a carrier drain for runway surface water and a drain for interception of sub-surface water from adjacent ground of from the sub-grade of the runway.


The system wasn't a huge success as it had to be constructed accurately and blocked drains became the norm rather than the exception. The efficiency depended on the porosity of the tarmac which was almost impossible to achieve owing to silt accumulation. In early 1944 the tarmac apron / French drain system was abandoned and continuous drainage channels with catch pits became the new method.

I suspect perimeter tracks weren't drained as aircraft speeds were low, unlike the possible risk of aquaplaning when landing on a runway. I also assume that as iron is a valuable resource then the gratings have been removed, legally or otherwise. Over the years whilst looking for runway lights I've been amazed as to how much of the runway edge has disappeared by field creepage.

Thanks for the great info Carnaby. In the picture I posted of the Ridgewell taxiway, the black strip down the side could well be porous tarmac, although there clearly isn't a sloping tarmac channel either side of the supposed pit. Maybe they found that the pit was all that was required and did away with the sloping gulley?

I wonder if anyone has any pictures showing the detail at the side of Ridgewell's runway or taxiways?

Thanks

Thanks for the suggestion Canberra, will follow up on that.