Daliform Group’s hydraulic invariance

Hydraulic Invariance: A Key Principle for Urban Resilience

In recent decades, the uncontrolled growth of urban areas and the progressive impermeabilization of soil have had significant impacts on stormwater management. One of the fundamental concepts to mitigate such negative effects is hydraulic invariance. But what does it really mean?

Hydraulic invariance refers to the ability of an urbanized area to maintain unchanged conditions of surface hydrological runoff—particularly the peak discharge released into receiving water bodies—compared to pre-urbanization levels. In other words, even after the construction of buildings, roads, and infrastructure, the land should continue to behave hydrologically as it did when it was permeable.

Why is it important?

Urban expansion drastically reduces surfaces capable of naturally absorbing rainwater, such as agricultural land or green spaces. When the soil is covered with impermeable materials (asphalt, concrete, compact paving), stormwater can no longer infiltrate and instead rapidly flows over the surface. This increases the risk of flooding and overloads urban drainage systems.

An area designed in accordance with the principles of hydraulic invariance can effectively manage these challenges, ensuring that new construction projects do not worsen the area’s hydrological balance. This translates into greater safety for people, reduced damage to infrastructure, and enhanced urban resilience.

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Environmental Benefits and Water Savings

Beyond flood risk prevention, hydraulic invariance promotes a more sustainable management of water resources. Through technologies such as detention tanks, permeable pavements, green roofs, infiltration trenches, and rainwater harvesting and reuse systems, it is possible to reduce runoff peaks, limit erosion, and reuse water for non-potable purposes—thus contributing to water savings and waste reduction.

A Necessary Design Challenge

Achieving hydraulic invariance requires interdisciplinary expertise and an integrated approach involving urban planning, hydraulic engineering, and environmental management. Solutions must be tailored to local conditions, taking into account soil morphology, hydrogeological characteristics, and climate.

In an era when extreme weather events are increasingly frequent due to climate change, hydraulic invariance is no longer just a good practice—it is an essential condition for modern urban planning. The cities of the future must learn to coexist with water—rather than fight against it—by establishing a new balance between the built environment and nature.

Daliform Group’s Climate-Friendly Solutions

Daliform has developed the Atlantis Tank, a modular system for the creation of rainwater collection and detention basins.

What are the advantages of using this system?

  • Reduces the risk of flooding
  • Facilitates urban drainage
  • Suitable for parking lots, public squares, and industrial areas

Discover all the benefits by visiting the product page.

Easy Ride: The perfect solution for the equestrian industry

The well-being of horses and other animals in equestrian facilities is crucial to ensure their health and optimal performance. A well-maintained and properly structured floor is essential to prevent injuries, reduce joint stress and improve animal comfort. Easy Ride helps to maintain a stable and draining sub-floor, ensuring optimal conditions for training, resting and daily exercise for horses.

Easy Ride is a system specifically designed to consolidate subfloors in indoor and outdoor riding arenas, stables, paddocks and arenas. Thanks to its advanced technical features, Easy Ride is the ideal choice for those looking for a stable, draining and easy to maintain subfloor.

The benefits of Easy Ride

The use of Easy Ride offers many benefits to equestrian facilities, including

  • Elimination of mud: thanks to its high drainage capacity, the system keeps surfaces dry and safe for horses and riders.
  • Reduced maintenance: it preserves the stratigraphy of the technical surface, reducing the need for maintenance and renovation.
  • Easy to install: the system is easy to install, reducing labour time.
  • Non-slip surface: ensures greater safety for animals and operators.
  • Improved hygiene and cleanliness: exercise and parking areas are healthier and less prone to dirt accumulation.
  • Environmental sustainability: Made from recycled plastic, Easy Ride respects the environment and helps reduce plastic waste.

An ecological and functional choice

Combining safety, durability and respect for the environment, Easy Ride is an innovative and reliable solution for all equestrian facilities. Choosing Daliform Group products means investing in quality, technology and sustainability, improving the performance and management of equestrian facilities.

Urban heat islands, the Daliform Group’s solutions

Urban heat islands are a growing phenomenon, particularly evident in densely built-up cities, where temperatures in these areas can exceed those in surrounding rural areas by several degrees. Climate change and the intensification of summer heat waves make it urgent to find sustainable solutions, such as the ATLANTIS SYSTEM for heat island savings and Iglu’® Green Roof.

Heat islands occur when urban surfaces absorb and retain solar heat longer than natural areas. This creates a warmer microclimate and the lack of vegetation reduces the natural cooling capacity.

The main causes are:
Soil sealing
Asphalt and concrete prevent water evaporation, a key process for natural cooling.

Scarcity of green areas
The reduction of parks and trees limits photosynthesis and transpiration, which are key to regulating temperature.

Emissions
Traffic, air-conditioning systems and industrial activities release heat and greenhouse gases, making the phenomenon worse.

The consequences of heat islands affect quality of life, health risks and increased energy consumption due to air conditioners. To effectively combat heat islands, it is essential to focus on green infrastructure and technologies that foster urban resilience.

ATLANTIS SYSTEM: protection for city trees
Urban trees are crucial in counteracting heat islands. The Atlantis system used as a tree saver is designed to protect tree roots, ensuring healthy growth even in densely built-up urban settings.

Benefits include:
Optimisation of tree growth, improving green cover.
Protection of infrastructure from damage.
Improved air quality and reduced CO₂.

Iglu’® Green Roof: green roofs with improved insulation
Thanks to its modular structure, it enables the creation of efficient green roofs, improving the thermal insulation of buildings and reducing the heat island effect.

Main advantages of a green roof
– Promotes drainage, reducing the risk of flooding.
– Better thermal and acoustic insulation.
– Longer roof life.
– Reduced city temperatures.

Heat islands are a complex challenge for cities today and in the future, but thanks to innovative solutions such as ATLANTIS SYSTEM and Iglu’® Green Roof, it is possible to create more sustainable and liveable urban areas. Investing in green infrastructure not only reduces temperatures, but improves the quality of life and climate resilience of our cities.

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING SOLUTIONS

Recycled plastic products, manufactured with production processes that use entirely green energy, this is the Daliform Group’s formula for moving towards construction that truly respects the environment.

Our systems respond to the need to reduce the amount of concrete used, ensuring optimal performance with lighter and more flexible structures.

IGLU’® is the reference permanent formwork for ventilated crawl spaces, and from it numerous systems have been developed to meet the needs of the construction market.

IGLU' cantiere grande distribuzione
IGLU’® large-scale retail

Solutions for every type of building
Thanks to their versatility, Daliform systems are ideal for residential and commercial buildings, public infrastructures, industrial buildings for all kinds of sectors.

Daliform Project Consulting
Thanks to our team of engineers, we are able to offer tailor-made solutions, each project benefiting from in-depth technical consultancy, for issues such as:

Structural weight reduction, lightweight slabs ideal for multi-storey buildings.
Foundations on difficult terrain, thanks to permanent formwork with arch structure.
Protection against moisture and radon gas, thanks to natural ventilation.
Rainwater management, for the construction of storage or dispersion tanks.

Discover all our systems

Find out our products

Saving and managing urban greenery

Atlantis System: an save-roots solution for urban space management


In urban planning, the management of urban greenery is essential for modern cities. Understanding how to deal with tree roots growth is a crucial challenge, in order to preserve street pavements and ensure safe and durable infrastructure.
The Atlantis System also stands out as an effective solution for green areas, as it is able to conciliating the natural growth of trees with the integrity of urban surfaces.

How does the Atlantis System work?

The Atlantis System creates a cavity under the pavement, a ventilated structure that directs the roots towards controlled horizontal growth.

This approach prevents roots from lifting or damaging the pavement, preserving its integrity.
In addition, the system facilitates rainwater drainage and gaseous exchange in the soil, promoting tree health and infrastructure stability.

Key benefits:

  • Protection of surfaces, preventing damage caused by roots, eliminating deformation and soil uplift.
  • Reduced maintenance costs, less extraordinary work on city pavements.
  • Increased safety, eliminating the risk of accidents to people caused by uneven pavements.
  • Environmental sustainability and functionality, it facilitates rainwater drainage and optimises soil oxygenation, improving the health and stability of trees.

Thanks to the Atlantis System, it is possible to improve urban green management and preserve the integrity of infrastructure, contributing to more liveable and sustainable cities.
This solution represents the future of modern urban planning, where technology and nature work in synergy

Daliform for Smart Cities: Sustainability and Efficiency

In the Smart City era, Daliform Group stands out for advanced and sustainable solutions that meet the needs of modern cities. Products such as Iglù®, Atlantis and U-Boot® Beton are ideal for urban projects that aim to improve energy efficiency, resource management and citizens’ quality of life, key elements for any smart city.

The Iglù® system allows the construction of ventilated crawl spaces, creating cavities that prevent moisture problems. Thanks to the modular arch structure, they promote air circulation, helping to keep buildings healthy. Reducing humidity and preventing mould results in better air quality and a healthier environment.

In addition to healthy environments, smart cities face the challenge of water resources management. The Atlantis system is designed to recover and manage rainwater: thanks to the construction of storage and dispersion tanks, water can be recovered for non-drinking uses such as irrigation and street cleaning. This system not only saves water, but also reduces the impact of heavy rain and prevents flooding, ensuring a more resilient and safer city.

Uboot Beton per solai alleggeriti

U-Boot® Beton is a perfect solution for high-rise buildings in urban contexts, as it is possible to reduce the use of concrete and steel without compromising the strength of the structure, making the buildings lighter and more flexible to an eventual building conversion.

Smart Cities represent the future, and Daliform Group with its recycled plastic products is ready to play its part, proposing innovative solutions that turn vision into reality.
With a combination of sustainability and advanced engineering.

Cold storage: the importance of food preservation

In an increasingly globalised world, where demand for food is growing exponentially and attention to sustainability becomes crucial, food preservation is a key element in ensuring food safety and reducing waste. The cold chain, including cold rooms, refrigerated transport and temperature-controlled warehouses, is essential to keep perishable products fresh and safe, from the producer to the end consumer.

Cold rooms play a key role in the optimal preservation of food, ensuring that perishable products stay fresh for longer and minimising waste. Thanks to their ability to maintain a constant and controlled temperature, cold rooms slow down the natural spoilage of food, preventing the growth of bacteria and the degradation of nutritional quality. Furthermore, reducing food waste is a global priority.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that approximately one third of the food produced in the world is lost or wasted each year. Cold storage is an essential tool for reducing these losses, helping to maintain food quality for longer during transport, storage and distribution.

 

IGLU’®: efficiency and sustainability for cold rooms

In cold storage rooms, energy efficiency and thermal insulation are crucial aspects.
The floor of a cold room is often a critical point, as it represents an area where heat loss can be highest. This is where Daliform Group’s IGLU’® technology comes into play, an innovative solution that can significantly improve cold room performance.

IGLU’® is a modular system made of recycled plastic, designed to create an aerated cavity under the floor of cold rooms. This ventilated crawl space improves thermal insulation, reduces the risk of structural damage and offers a sustainable approach to construction.
During the design phase, a ‘smart’ system with mechanical ventilation or one with natural ventilation can be integrated into the apparatus, if properly dimensioned.

 

 

Advantages of the IGLU’® system for cold stores:

  • Improved thermal efficiency: the air cavity created by the IGLU’® system allows for better thermal management, reducing heat transfer from the ground to the cold room. This helps maintain more stable temperatures inside the cold room, reducing the energy consumption needed to cool the space and improving the overall efficiency of the system.
  • Prevention of structural damage: a dry environment underneath the cold room floor is essential to prevent moisture build-up, which can cause deterioration of the foundation and lead to phenomena such as frost heaving, where freezing of the ground causes damaging uplifts to the structure.
    The IGLU’® system reduces this risk, increasing the durability of the entire infrastructure.
  • Ease of installation: IGLU’®’s modular, lightweight system allows quick and efficient installation, reducing construction time and costs. This flexible system easily adapts to different space configurations, offering customised solutions for every type of cold store.
  • Environmental sustainability: IGLU’® modules are made of recycled plastic, helping to reduce the environmental impact of cold storage construction. Their arched design ensures maximum strength, reducing the need for additional materials and thus contributing to a more sustainable construction.

Cold stores are indispensable structures for the safe and prolonged storage of food and for reducing food waste along the cold chain. In this scenario, the IGLU’® system is an ideal solution for more efficient, sustainable and durable cold stores, making a significant contribution not only to food preservation but also to reducing the environmental impact of industrial facilities.

Green roofs Daliform

EARTH SHELTER BUILDINGS: IGLU’® Green Roofs

Since the 1970s, bio-architecture has explored underground construction, focusing on reducing ecological footprints and enhancing microclimates.
These structures not only blend seamlessly into the landscape but also offer substantial energy savings and adapt well to complex topographies. Key benefits of subterranean buildings include stabilised internal temperatures due to the thermal inertia of the ground and superior thermal and acoustic insulation.

IGLU’® GREEN ROOF: The Sustainable Choice

To achieve efficient and sustainable underground buildings, the selection of appropriate materials and technologies is crucial. IGLU’® GREEN ROOF, a system made from recycled plastic, exemplifies the fusion of ecological benefits and high technical performance, enabling the creation of green roofs with multiple advantages:

  • Water Retention and Gradual Drainage: IGLU’® GREEN ROOF excels in retaining and storing water, promoting gradual drainage during heavy rainfall, which prevents vegetation loss due to either water scarcity or excess.
  • Environmental Sustainability: This system enhances both the macro and microclimates, improving air quality and contributing to overall environmental health.
  • Thermal Insulation: It contributes to the thermal insulation of the building, reducing heat loss in winter and offering natural cooling in summer, thus ensuring year-round indoor comfort.
  • Acoustic Insulation: IGLU’® GREEN ROOF effectively mitigates sound transmission, reducing noise propagation to the rooms below and enhancing indoor comfort.
  • Increased Property Value: The aesthetic and functional benefits of green roofs significantly enhance property value, making buildings more attractive and valuable.

Applications in Various Building Types

IGLU’® GREEN ROOF is ideal for a wide range of structures, including residential housing, commercial buildings, and public infrastructure. Its application in underground projects improves the sustainability of these buildings and enhances their appeal, creating more welcoming and pleasant environments for occupants.

The adoption of underground buildings offers an innovative response to modern environmental and urban challenges. With Daliform Group’s IGLU’® GREEN ROOF, projects can achieve a blend of sustainability, energy efficiency, and landscape integration.

By utilising modern technologies and thoughtful design, underground buildings can revolutionise construction and living spaces, contributing to a greener, more resilient future.

Cover image: Gluck+

Regeneration and Sustainability

URBAN REGENERATION: The former fruit and vegetable market in Genoa, a story of rebirth

Urban regeneration is a crucial component in the sustainable development of contemporary cities. Through targeted interventions, disused and degraded areas can be transformed into vibrant and functional spaces, meeting the needs of an ever-evolving society. An exemplary case of such transformation is the renovation of the former fruit and vegetable market in Genoa.

Urban regeneration extends beyond mere building restoration; it encompasses the redevelopment of entire neighbourhoods, enhancing the quality of life for residents, promoting environmental sustainability, and stimulating the local economy. This process may include the rehabilitation of historic buildings, the creation of new public spaces, the improvement of infrastructure, and the promotion of sustainable mobility. One of the most effective approaches in urban regeneration is public-private collaboration, which combines resources and expertise to realise ambitious and impactful projects.

 

The Redevelopment of the Former Fruit and Vegetable Market in Genoa

The former fruit and vegetable market in Genoa serves as an ideal case study for understanding the significance of urban regeneration. Situated in a strategic location within the city, this space had languished in neglect for several years, becoming a symbol of decay. Thanks to an ambitious redevelopment and reuse project, the area has undergone a radical transformation, emerging as a hub of attraction that fosters greater social cohesion. The design of this new multifunctional space has preserved the historical memory of the complex, creating a large park for the community and commercial spaces for local businesses.

U-Boot® Beton: Technology at the Service of Regeneration

A distinctive feature of this project was the utilisation of U-Boot® Beton, a recycled plastic formwork for voided biaxial slabs, offering several advantages:

  • Reduction in Structural Weight: By unburdening the floor, it was possible to reduce the load on the bearing structures, facilitating renovation without compromising stability.
  • Environmental Sustainability: U-Boot® Beton contributed to reducing the environmental impact of the project, thanks to the significant savings in concrete and steel.
  • Design Flexibility: The versatility of U-Boot® Beton allowed for easy adaptation to specific project requirements, as it is ideal for buildings with complex geometries.

Urban regeneration is a complex yet indispensable process to reintegrate disused or abandoned areas into our cities. Investing in urban regeneration means building a better future for the community, transforming forgotten spaces into places of opportunity and growth.

     

U-Bahn® Beton - RIVM + CBG in Utrecht

Building with Recycled Plastic Products: Lightweight Slabs with U-Bahn® Beton for Sustainable Construction

In contemporary construction, the quest for innovative and sustainable solutions is increasingly paramount. Within this context, lightweight slabs with U-Bahn® Beton emerge as a high-performance and environmentally conscious choice.
Crafted from recycled plastic, U-Bahn® Beton modular formwork exemplifies the principles of the circular economy.
The advantages of this technology extend beyond environmental benefits, offering tangible improvements in construction efficiency.

Why Choose U-Bahn® Beton for One-Way Lightweight Floor Slabs?

As a lightweight and stackable void former, U-Bahn® Beton provides exceptional design flexibility. Unlike brick piñatas and polystyrene formers, it facilitates the creation of cavities for the passage of cables and installations.

PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGES

Maximum Versatility: U-Bahn® Beton is ideal for the production of precast slabs, significantly reducing construction time and labour costs.
High Precision and Uniformity: The U-Bahn® Beton void former ensures perfect concrete rib geometry, enhancing structural performance.
Improved Site Cleanliness: Its compact and modular design minimises waste and debris on site, promoting a cleaner and safer working environment.
Enhanced Seismic Performance: The presence of a double reinforced concrete shell imparts greater rigidity and seismic resistance to U-Bahn® Beton slabs, making them ideal for areas with high seismic risk.

APPLICATIONS

U-Bahn® Beton is the optimal solution for lightweight one-way slabs in a diverse range of buildings, including residential, commercial, office, industrial structures, and public buildings such as schools and hospitals. It is particularly suited for applications that require one-way slabs and floors where minimizing structural loads is essential.
This system not only reduces the need for concrete and steel but also significantly lowers the building’s embodied carbon footprint.

A notable application is in underground construction using the “top-down” technique. Unlike traditional open-air construction that progresses from the bottom up, this method involves constructing load-bearing slabs from the top down, alternating slab construction with the excavation of lower levels.
This technique is often employed in the development of underground car parks in historic city centres, where the presence of adjacent buildings and the necessity for rapid road system restoration pose significant constraints.