The Drinking Water, Sewerage, and Treatment Manual (MAPAS) As a New Support Tool for the Design of Urban Hydraulic Structures

Abstract

Water industry companies need infrastructure capable of satisfying the hydraulic requirements for which they were designed. Moreover, in order to fulfill that objective, they should meet the structural requirements that assure an adequate lifespan and the capacity to withstand daily mechanical actions as well as the occurrence of earthquakes and/or gusts of wind. In Mexico there are local construction regulations that dictate the considerations that should be taken into account for a structural design, as well as diverse manuals that aid in this purpose, nonetheless, they commonly focus on the construction of conventional urban infrastructure. In the case of urban hydraulic works such as elevated tanks and treatment plants, which must be considered as priority structures of public interest, there isn't enough public information for their design and construction. For that reason, as part of the recent update of the Drinking Water, Sewerage, and Treatment Manual (MAPAS) the "Structural Design" book aids with the structural design of urban hydraulic works so as to standardize criteria for the design of buried, elevated and surface deposits, as well as support structures. Design and construction recommendations for these structures were also included based on the experience of the operators in charge of the distribution networks for drinking water, sewerage and water treatment. In the present article, the content and objectives of the book are broken down in a simplified form as well as their potential applications and usage. Interdisciplinary work in the design and construction of urban hydraulic infrastructure is also encouraged here.