POROUS PAVING: THE GREEN ALTERNATIVE
19 Apr 2017
Porous paving is a green way to construct and manage both our cities and urban spaces. The material is extremely water resistant and acts as a great alternative to traditional paving methods.
Most traditional paving methods are detrimental to the environment - some more than others. Roads constructed with impervious materials disrupt the recharging of aquifers and parch the soil. Water then needs to be redirected with expensive storm water management techniques which usually prevent flooding but this doesn’t restore the natural interaction between soil and water. Some of these paving materials contain pollutants, which leach from the road surface into the runoff water. Quarries and production facilities for paving might be far removed from job sites, acquiring embodied energy in transit. Even maintenance can be a problem.
Enter porous paving from StoneSet. This permeable paving material is composed of resin and the rubber from recycled tires. It stands up to weather without breaking and remains durable in the Australian climate. Porous paving flexes to accommodate everything from traffic to tree roots and best of all, the product is water permeable - extremely so. Depending on other environmental factors it is possible for the product to remain functional with 60 litres per meter-squared per second of water flowing through. However, the team at StoneSet recommends specific underlayment materials and techniques that support this high "void rate". 
Beneath a porous road, water filtered by the paving enters the microscopic channels of the surface soil that feed larger channels below, ultimately recharging aquifers. This benefits plants and animals that depend on the soil and the water and keep our cities functioning as per usual.
StoneSet's porous materials can even be used (according to instruction) for tree-surrounds. Imagine how the landscape can benefit from paving that cooperates with the soil and water, making polluted runoff a thing of the past. Even the heat island effect is mitigated by water evaporating through this innovative material.
StoneSet's production uses materials sourced from local quarries, as well as recycled products. Embodied energy is further managed by minimising freight.
For more information on the porous paving range visit the StoneSet website at www.stoneset.com.au
