Whether used in isolation or as an essential Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) technique, concrete block permeable paving has proven itself over decades of successful use around the world. Updated guidance from Interpave now brings together evidence that maintenance requirements are much lower than previously thought, making it even more cost-effective.
There is now extensive experience of permeable paving in use within the UK – for example in Oxfordshire over 15 years – with numerous examples in place for many years without maintenance or any problems. This is reinforced by the Lamb Drove SuDS monitoring project report (referred to in the Defra consultation on the National Standards for SuDS) which concluded that: “The permeable pavement infiltration study specifically illustrates the robustness of the performance of this feature to limited maintenance.” There is therefore a growing consensus that – apart from cosmetic cleaning – maintenance such as mechanical sweeping and refilling of joints with the correct aggregate need only be carried out at intervals of 5 years or so, subject to more regular visual inspection or manufacturer’s recommendations to the contrary.
These and other issues are discussed in detail in Interpave’s updated ‘Understanding Permeable Paving’ guide, intended to help all those involved with the development process
Tel: 0116 253 6161
www.paving.org.uk.