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Installations of Porous Pave Surfacing Material Have Kept 6 Million Pounds of Tires out of U.S. Landfills


 

Grant, Mich. — Feb. 5, 2015 — All the Porous Pave manufactured and installed through December 2014 included a total of about 6 million pounds of rubber recycled from 200,000 tires.

A proven option for green stormwater infrastructure, Porous Pave is a highly porous, durable, and flexible surfacing material consisting of recycled rubber, aggregate, and a binder. The controlled shredding and processing of discarded tires produces the one-quarter-inch nominal size rubber chips incorporated into Porous Pave.

“Reaching a total of 200,000 tires saved from landfills, recycled, and processed into a component of Porous Pave is an environmental achievement,” said David Ouwinga, president and chief executive officer, Porous Pave, Inc. “It also signifies the rapid adoption of Porous Pave as a pour-in-place, permeable paving surface for a variety of applications.”

Porous Pave retains stormwater runoff on site, decreases the volume and velocity of rainwater flowing into storm drains and storm sewers, improves water quality by reducing erosion and filtering out pollutants, and recharges groundwater.

The product is engineered with 29 percent void space. It allows up to 6,300 gallons of water per hour per square foot to drain directly through its surface, permeate down into a compacted aggregate base, and then slowly filter into the ground.

Made in the U.S., Porous Pave XL is a hard, heavy-duty material made from 50 percent recycled rubber chips, 50 percent stone aggregate, and a moisture-cured urethane binding agent.

Porous Pave XL is poured in place at thicknesses of 1 to 2 inches atop a compacted aggregate base of 2, 4, or 6 inches, depending on the application and required compressive strength. Contractors use it in public, commercial, and residential installations for loading docks, parking lots, driveways, building entryways and courtyards, walkways and sidewalks, and patios and terraces.

Unlike pervious concrete or permeable pavers, Porous Pave XL can be installed on slopes up to 30 degrees for golf cart paths, hillside trails, or any steep pathway. The material’s porosity, permeability, and slip resistance also make it ideal for maintenance and drainage strips, tree surrounds, and non-slip, porous hardscape elements in water features.

A second, softer formulation, Porous Pave XLS, is made from 100 percent recycled rubber chips and a more flexible urethane binding agent. Landscape architects specify it for areas such as playgrounds and pool surrounds, which require a more impact-absorbing surface.

 





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