 The use of trench drains in construction began with the commission by the British Airports Authority of a company called Gatic.Airports were in need of a form of trench drainage with fewer movable parts and less tendency to collapse under heavy traffic than the traditional drainage gratings.Gatic designed and engineered the first stainless steel slot drain, and it was installed first at Stansted Airport in the United Kingdom, following which it was specified at Britain’s most famous airport – Heathrow.