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Leiths Porous Asphalt
Porous Asphalt
pavement is a paved surface and sub-base used for the construction of
'Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems'. Conventional surface water drainage
techniques can cause flooding and pollution to the detriment of water
resources and the natural environment. A more sustainable solution is to use
methods inspired by natural processes. These new methods use permeable
surfaces that permit surface water to enter the underlying construction.
Porous asphalt
allows the ingress of water to the lower layers where water is stored and
conveyed through the sub-base construction. Permeable surfaces remove the
need for traditional drainage ancillaries and can be used as attenuation or
infiltration devices.
The two grades
of material currently produced are specified in BS 4987-1:2003, see clause
8.1 and clause 8.2. Either a 100/150 pen bitumen with fibres or a polymer
modified bitumen is used. Laboratory and plant trials have been carried out
which indicate that the pore space of these materials is approximately 16%. |