Specifying suitable construction materials is key to developing infrastructure that is resilient to climate events. For both commercial builds, as well as home renovations, permeable solutions like Turfstone and grow-through concrete pavers represent a landscaping solution that is made to last and advantageous in a time of growing climate concern. This lies in their inherent attributes, including a grid or lattice structure that allows water to pass through into stone or grass-filled voids, alleviating the effects of heavy rain.
Grow-through pavers are landscaping solutions that support drainage through their porosity and design that enables larger spaces and joints in between the pieces. These concrete pavers can support both pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and come in a variety of designs and layouts that contribute to enhancing beauty in a landscaping project. Additionally, they are advantageous due to being precast concrete products—contributing to enhanced durability and quality.
In addition to these advantages, it is in the face of growing flooding and storm risk that permeable products prevail as an extremely beneficial solution. In a recent article with La Presse Canadienne, Stéphane Blais explains in the case of Quebec that massive rainfalls are overloading underground networks unprepared for such large amounts of water, backing up sewers and turning both the streets and many residential properties into “swimming pools”.
Blais further underlines that “to make cities more resilient to climate change, one idea is to allow rainwater to infiltrate the ground without passing through underground networks by making parking lots, sidewalks and streets more permeable, for example.”
Grow-through concrete pavers are therefore becoming critical to homeowners and municipalities alike. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains that these alternative materials reduce runoff by filtering rainwater, allowing heavy rain to seep through the surface to layers of soil and gravel below. Additionally, this process enables some filtration of pollutants that contribute to water pollution. These pavers are also well-suited to winter conditions, due to their advanced melting properties that can reduce the need for snow plowing and salt applications. Their overall resulting drainage and resilience properties make these products cost effective for users over their life cycle.
CarbiCrete technology fully decarbonizes concrete products through the complete replacement of cement with a byproduct of the steel industry, steel slag, and the use of carbon mineralization technology. CarbiCrete’s new CarbiFlow grow-through paver enables permeability and addresses weather events like storms and flooding, while lowering emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This product will be groundbreaking for landscaping projects of all sizes looking to integrate both sustainability and resilience.
