CMA PUBLISHES GREEN PAVING BROCHURE:

Its primary objective is to assist landscape designers, property developers, as well as planning, building control and adoption officers to better understand PCBP and the positive impact it is having on the environment.

The brochure highlights the three essential pillars of PCBP which are:

• Minimising water run-off
• Improving water quality
• Providing amenity (improving the environment) and biodiversity

The underlying principles of PCBP and the differences between PCBP pavers and conventional paving blocks are also covered.

Advice is given on how to match PCBP systems to sub-grade (ground) conditions.  Three systems are covered: full infiltration, suitable for ground with good permeability; partial infiltration for ground not capable of absorbing all the water; and no infiltration, where the existing sub-grade is poor or contains pollutants.

The latter allows for the complete capture of the water and uses an impermeable membrane placed on top of the sub-grade and up the sides of the permeable sub-base to form a storage tank. Outlet pipes are run through the impermeable membrane, and channel the water to other drainage devices. This system is particularly suitable for contaminated sites as  pollutants cannot be absorbed into the sub-grade where they could pollute the ground water.

Other aspects covered by the brochure include water quality and the removal of pollutants, service life and maintenance.

The brochure includes photographic and diagrammatic material on South African PCBP sites and lists CMA paving producers and contractor members.

CMA director, Hamish Laing says PCBP is an environmentally-friendly and versatile water attenuation technique, offering important storage and pollution control characteristics.

“Growing urbanisation combined with more extreme weather patterns is increasing the potential for flooding, especially as many existing storm water drainage systems are already over extended. PCBP offers a more sustainable approach to the management of water run-off.”

“It is deceptively simple, providing an attractive pavement surface which acts as a form of source control to reduce the peak rate and total volume of storm water and run-off, replicating green-field run-off characteristics.

“PCBP is also one of the most space efficient water attenuation systems available as it doesn’t require any additional land,’ concludes Laing.

The brochure can be downloaded at no charge from the CMA’s website, www.cma.org.za . Simply click on ‘Publications’ and follow the prompts. Alternatively, hard copy versions are available from the CMA, also at no charge. Contact Pam Zukor on (011) 805-6742 or on main.cma@gmail.com .

This diagram shows the third PCBP option in which a permeable flexible membrane is placed on top of the sub-grade and up the sides of the permeable sub-base to form what is effectively a storage tank.

DATE:   April 2010
ISSUED BY:  David Beer Communication Consultants
FOR  :  Concrete Manufacturers Association 
ENQUIRIES:  Hamish Laing (011) 805 6742
David Beer (011) 478 0239 or 082 880 6726. 
Email: bigsky@ibi.co.za