The move towards sustainable and environmentally friendly hard landscaping products is increasing, with porous paving solutions becoming a fundamental component in sustainable and ecological new build and refurbishment designs.
Traditional water impermeable parking and walkway solutions can aid storm-water run-off, which in-turn limits the amount of water getting back in to the natural water table. Instead, this water ends up down drains (carrying pollutants such as hydrocarbons), or aids flooding and the erosion of adjacent areas through the inability of drains coping with the water volume. The angle of the hard surface itself can also cause surface water run-off to flow to incorrect areas of land resulting in pooling and building damage from water over time.
In the UK, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), attempts to minimise the impact on water quality and limit flood risk. Surface solutions that actively aid SUDS offer a real advantage in helping to minimise water contamination and flood. One such solution is the porous paver, which is effective in managing water run-off. The nature of the design is such that water and air is allowed to permeate through the paver and in to the ground, back in to the natural water system.
The British manufacturer Boddingtons offers a range of grass and ground reinforcement products, including the innovative porous paver called BodPave®85, which has been designed in-house as the next generation in porous paving. Made from 100% recycled material for environmental soundness and offering a load bearing of 400 tonnes per square meter, BodPave®85 is flexible in application and available in a choice of colours to blend discreetly with different grass/aggregate types.
The unique water/nutrients retention chambers and the castellated cells, ensure that water infiltrates at a controlled rate, aiding SUDS and ensuring optimum grass root development and plant growth. This strong grass growth helps to reduce the heat island effect, helping to cool buildings and also creates a natural yet reinforced surface that will quite easily take the weight of heavy vehicles thus is ideal for grassed parking, driveways, access roads, walkways and emergency access routes.
Manufactured from UV stabilised material, BodPave®85 is chemically inert & non-toxic offering a durable, safe and eco-friendly alternative to traditional hard surface solutions. The result of using a porous paver such as BodPave®85, is a sustainable and more naturalised hardscaping solution, which offers real function and benefit whilst enhancing building aesthetics.
Case studies, specifications and technical advice can be found on the Boddingtons ‘grass reinforcement’ microsite or by speaking with a technical specialist:
www.grass-reinforcement.com
