POROUS PAVING SAVES OBSERVATORY PATHWAYS
17 Aug 2017
StoneSet has reinvigorated the pathways at the Sydney Observatory while maintaining the facilities distinct heritage style. The porous pathway installed now meets the sites high-pedestrian challenges.
StoneSet was called upon by MAAS (Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences) to help solve a problem at the Sydney Observatory: the existing stone pathways, which had become very worn. The existing deco granite was not coping with the high levels of foot traffic or the terrain’s sloping, which saw the loose granite constantly rolling down the hill after rainfall. 
The water damage to the original paving created a serious hazard for pedestrians and limited accessibility for visitors.
The brief was to provide paving which kept the heritage nature of the site while meeting the accessibility requirements for modern users. The brief specified the need to match the existing red granite but with a product which would be long lasting, low maintenance and easy to traffic.
StoneSet offered the perfect solution with their porous paving range, solving all the existing paving problems without sacrificing the look of the finished work. Bound by a polyurethane resin, the stones can no longer wash away in the rain, nor will they move with the pressure of turning car tyres. The porous pavement will also continue to stay in place with minimal maintenance for up to 25 years. 
The permeable nature of the 6mm sized stone, as well as the gravel cell sub-base, also resolved the previous pooling and run-off issues which had started to degrade the site and cause maintenance headaches for ground keepers. Laid at just a 75mm depth, StoneSet’s installation process required minimal interruption to the grounds and due to the subsequent quick installation, there was little interruption to the opening times of the popular site. Even the heritage brick pavers were able to remain in place. 
In terms of colour, a mix of Coral and Cream was chosen which beautifully carried the traditional red through the site while enabling the pathways to tie in with the sandstone features. StoneSet was laid over 1000m2 of gravel cell base and the site now looks absolutely stunning, is safer for pedestrians and manages water run-off more efficiently. 
