Of the many forms of surface water management system now available permeable paving is the most flexible in terms of effectiveness, space utilisation, aesthetics and ability to meet all three requirements of a SUDS system.
In contrast to other forms of paving, permeable paving is designed to allow surface water to drain down between the blocks and into the pavement sub-base where it can then either be collected or drained away into the underlying soil – effectively imitating the natural drainage behaviour of a site.
The major advantage of this is that, unlike with other attenuation systems, the pollutants carried within the surface water run-off are filtered out as they pass through the sub-base. Once trapped they are then broken down over time; independent figures from the Construction Industry Research and Information Association have proven that 60-95% of suspended solids and 70-90% of hydrocarbons can be removed by permeable pavements in this way.
As a result water leaving the site is of a high quality and can re-enter the natural water cycle without the need to further treatment thereby providing a significant environmental benefit.
The other benefit of permeable paving is that it provides excellent aesthetics and takes up no more space than would a conventional block pavement all of which makes permeable paving the ideal solution to comply with legislative requirements.
Popularity of our Alpha Antiques rustic multi-sized paving, with environemental benefits
Offers an excellent solution for domestic driveways as well as commercial applications