Knowledge Base

Getting Started

Everything you need to know to start using Quinnsite

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How Quinnsite works

Quinnsite runs entirely in your browser: no installation, no licence key, nothing to sign up for to start calculating. Open any tool and go. Your work is saved locally on your own device (in this browser); we don't hold your data on our servers.

Save your work as a project

A project is the home for everything on one site. Once you're working in a project, every calculation you run and every PDF report you generate is filed under it automatically, so you can come back, review the whole set, and export it as a single package.

1. Create or pick a project. Use the project bar at the top of any calculator (choose a project, or click + New), or start from the Projects page. Give it a name and site reference.

2. Run the tool and save. When you save an output, it's filed against the project you're working in, calculations and reports alike. No re-keying between tools.

3. Find it all in Projects. Open, rename, or export a project to a single file to back it up or move it to another computer.

4. Keep a copy. Because projects live in this browser only, clearing your browser data removes them. Export anything you want to keep safe.

Not sure where something lives, or which tool to open? Ask Manning: the assistant in the bottom-right corner can point you to the right tool and explain how saving works.

What is Quinnsite?

Quinnsite is a suite of tools for UK drainage engineers, built to CIRIA C753, Defra NSTS, EA May 2022 climate-change allowances and the Water UK SSG/DCG (formerly Sewers for Adoption) / Sewerage Sector Guidance for adoptable schemes. Each calculator produces a PDF calculation sheet you can submit directly to the LLFA, SAB or water company.

The tools cover the full SuDS design workflow across six key categories:

Appraisal

8 tools

Greenfield runoff, soil classification, infiltration testing

Component Design

9 tools

Permeable paving, swales, bioretention, green roofs

Storage & Treatment

9 tools

Attenuation, detention basins, soakaways, wetlands

Network & Hydraulics

8 tools

Pipe sizing, manholes, orifice controls, head loss

Compliance & Reporting

8 tools

S1–S7 compliance, treatment trains, water quality

Sustainability & Delivery

9 tools

Embodied carbon, BNG, lifecycle costing, maintenance

How the tools connect

The calculators are designed to work together in a logical sequence. Here's the typical calculation chain for a SuDS design project:

1. Greenfield Runoff Calculator: establishes your baseline discharge rate under greenfield conditions

2. Climate Change Comparison: applies EA regional uplifts to your rainfall data for future-proofing

3. Attenuation Storage Calculator: uses those rates to size storage volumes for peak flow management

4. Orifice Flow Control Calculator: sizes the outlet to limit discharge to the target rate

5. Treatment Train Calculator: verifies water quality compliance across your SuDS train

6. S1–S7 Compliance Report: pulls everything together for your formal drainage strategy submission

Each calculator's PDF output references the relevant standard and can be appended directly to your drainage strategy document.

Your first calculation: Quick runoff check

Let's walk through a simple example to see how the tools work. We'll calculate the greenfield runoff for a 500m² car park with a 45mm design rainfall and 0.9 runoff coefficient.

Step 1 Open the Greenfield Runoff Calculator

Step 2 Enter your site parameters:

Site area: 500 m²
Design rainfall: 45 mm
Runoff coefficient: 0.9

Step 3 Read the QBAR result: this is your baseline greenfield discharge rate (typically expressed in l/s)

Step 4 Export the PDF: this becomes the first attachment to your drainage strategy

Step 5 Use this result as input to the Attenuation Storage Calculator to size your storage pond or basin

That's it, you've completed the first stage of your SuDS design workflow. Each subsequent calculator feeds naturally into the next.

Where to go next

Now that you understand how Quinnsite fits together, the next step depends on your current project phase:

Ready to start a real project?

Head to the Site Assessment Guide to learn about soil testing, infiltration trials, and how to establish your baseline greenfield runoff.

Want a complete worked example?

The Attenuation Design Tutorial walks through a full 100-dwelling housing scheme from start to finish.

Need to understand compliance?

The Compliance Walkthrough takes you through S1–S7 standards step-by-step with calculator links at each stage.

Looking for regulatory information?

Consult the Regulatory Reference for detailed explanations of Schedule 3, CIRIA C753, BRE 365, Defra NSTS and EA climate change allowances.

Need to find a specific standard?

Use the Standards Quick Reference to search every UK drainage standard and code of practice referenced across Quinnsite.

← Previous Next: Site Assessment Guide →

Last reviewed: 2026-05-10 · Sources cross-checked against the canonical registry at the time of publication. Standards may be updated; verify currency against the publisher before relying on any citation.