Popular Topics

POPULAR TOPICS Green Your Home and Your Hometown David Smith, ICPI Technical Director

Controlling the quantity and quality of on-site runoff is a major concern across America. Design professionals and engineers are constantly searching for sustainable approaches to site development. Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement (PICP) is a fast-growing sustainable design approach to stormwater management.

PICP uses solid concrete pavers placed on an open-graded aggregate base. The joints or openings are filled with a small, permeable, open-graded aggregate. This small aggregate makes the system 100% permeable. The base of the system filters stormwater and reduces pollutants. This water can be collected and used for watering the lawn. Otherwise, the open-graded base stores and infiltrates the stormwater back into the soil. PICP can help drought-stricken areas via aquifer recharge and reduce combined storm sewer overflow from too much runoff.

PICP can be used for walks, patios and driveways, as well as for parking lots and residential streets. Environmentally conscious homeowners are redoing their driveways and walkways with permeable interlocking concrete pavement, which not only looks good, but allows water to filter through the pavement to migrate back into the ground. In addition, homeowners can further help the environment by supporting projects that use PICP by their local municipality. These systems can and should be used in commercial or municipal parking lots and walkways.

Permeable pavers look good

Homeowners particularly like the vast array of colors, shapes, sizes and textures available. These include rustic, stone-like pavers or others that look like clay brick. PICP is easy to maintain and snowplow. In addition, snow melts faster on PICP and this reduces ice hazards.

ABOVE - Permeable interlocking concrete pavements are the way to green your home and hometown.

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You can learn more about PICP and find an experienced, professional installer by visiting the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute’s Web site at: www.permeablepavement.org

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POPULAR TOPICS A Beautiful Way to Improve the Environment David Smith, ICPI Technical Director

Installing a new patio this year? A driveway or walkway? Now is the time to consider how this can be an upgrade and an environmentally sound improvement. One pavement that meets both requirements is permeable interlocking concrete pavements (PICPs). They look like popular concrete pavers but work in a different manner. PICPs have a small space between the pavers. This space is filled with small stones that allow runoff to filter down between the pavers. The water filters down further to stone layers beneath that store the water. Finally, the water will filter into the soil, reducing stormwater runoff and pollution.

Homeowner can have a positive impact on the home environment through improvements that lower pollution. PICPs offer an environmentally-friendly solution and they are aesthetically pleasing. They are available in many shapes, sizes, textures and colors. Homeowners can even select a lighter more reflective color and reduce the heat island effect created by existing asphalt pavements.

PICPs are made the same way concrete paving stones are manufactured that results in high strength precast concrete. This durability means homeowners can enjoy their beauty for a life time. PICPs have been proven effective in winter because they can reduce icy build up. When the snow melts, it drains into the spaces between the pavers and does not have the opportunity to refreeze into slippery ice. Snow removal is handled the same way as any other pavement.

With a variety of styles and colors that complement any home, PICP can enhance curb appeal and help the environment as well. The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) offers resources for homeowners, design professionals and contractors in PICP design, specification, construction and maintenance. For more information and to find ICPI Certified Installers visit www.icpi.org .

ABOVE - Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement is an environmentally-friendly solution that is also visually pleasing .

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