THIRD NATURE is part of a strong project team developing permeable concrete for local rainwater management. Precipitation is one of our primary climate challenges today, and the amounts of heavy rainfalls will expectedly only increase in the future. Therefore, new solutions are needed for managing rainwater in our cities.
While the amount of heavy rainfalls has increased and intensified, the proportion of hard surfaces in our cities is still increasing. This means that in the event of a short-term cloudburst, large amounts of rainwater are led to an outdated and under-sized sewer system, causing floods and substantial damages for billions of kroners.
There is therefore a great demand for climate adaptation solutions in e.g. the Danish cities. Particularly in demand are solutions that can effectively handle the increased water volumes, while being economically attractive and contributing to an architectural improvement of the urban environment.
PERMEABLE CONCRETE
With the project, a new product – Permeable Concrete – is developed for local rainwater management, which through its internal structure ensures effective rainwater seepage, filtration for water purification as well as minimization of risk for clogging. At the same time, the bright surface of the concrete reduces the urban heat island effect in cities and allows for architectural freedom through design and color choice.
A team consisting of Third Nature, Orbicon, Unicon, Betonværket Brønderslev, Per Aarsleff, Fabriksbetonforeningen and Teknologisk Institut is working on developing the permeable concrete.
Permeable concrete is based on a further development of the pervious concrete technology, which despite the potential as an effective and sustainable LAR solution, is only seen in a few places in the world. This is mainly due to a lack of knowledge and experience.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The overall goal of the project is to create the necessary framework for the use of permeable concrete technology in Denmark as an alternative to existing climate adaptation solutions. The goal is achieved through several sub-goals, including:
- Development of standardized methods for documenting the qualities of the permeable concrete
- Establishment of performance specification for permeable concrete pavements
- Development and optimization of concrete recipes
- Preparation of a guide for handling and execution
- Preparation of a catalog of architectural options with permeable concrete solutions
Demonstration project where the developed permeable concrete is used
Inquiries regarding the development project can be directed to partner in Third Nature Flemming Rafn Thomsen at frt@tredjenatur.dk / +45 4093 4309.
