The Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) selected Porous Pave XL as the permeable paving material for the handicap parking pad and accessible walkway at their new facility in Dennis, Mass. The permeable pavement is part of the Living Landscape Laboratory, APCC’s outdoor showcase of green building and sustainable landscape solutions, which also includes a rain garden and native plants replacing sections of grass. An eco-friendly green building product made in the U.S.A., Porous Pave XL is a highly porous and durable pour-in-place permeable paving material made from 50 percent recycled rubber chips and 50 percent kiln-dried aggregate with a moisture-cured, liquid binder.
“We are transforming a 130-year-old house and barn into our new headquarters and educational facility and creating a Living Landscape Laboratory,” said Kristin Andres, director of education and outreach, Association to Preserve Cape Cod. “With our sustainable landscaping, property owners on Cape Cod can learn about practical methods and effective materials they can use in their own landscapes to protect our unique environment.”
“Cape Cod has 1,000 freshwater ponds and more than 500 miles of shoreline. Stormwater management, including permeable paving to retain stormwater on site, is critical to minimize polluting runoff,” said Theresa Sprague, owner, BlueFlax Design, LLC, Harwich, Mass., the project’s landscape designer. “Visitors to the Living Landscape Laboratory can see how permeable paving prevents runoff. We used Porous Pave because it is slip-resistant for safe accessibility, tough and durable, easy to maintain and keep clean, and cost-effective.”
“We also chose Porous Pave because it is an innovative green material that, while proven, is still new to Cape Cod,” said Andres.
Batch mixed on site and poured directly on a base of compacted aggregate, Porous Pave XL creates one continuous rubber-rock permeable surface. Water passes through it at a tested rate of 5,800 – 6,300 gallons per hour per square foot, allowing stormwater to percolate down into the base below. For durability, its recycled rubber chips give the material flexibility to withstand freeze-thaw cycles without heaving or cracking. The rubber also makes it a safe, non-skid surface. It can be shoveled or plowed in winter, and after snow removal, residual melted water permeates down through the surface rather than freezing and forming ice.
Land Escapes Design Studio, Belmont, Mass., the project’s landscape contractor, poured two inches of Porous Pave XL atop an 8-10-inch base of clean angular drain rock. At only two inches thick, the permeable pavement can handle low speed car and truck traffic.
“Porous Pave is easy to install, sets up fast and cures quickly,” said Trevor L. Smith, lead designer, Land Escapes Design Studio. “We did the job in May 2016 with a crew of three. It took only a few hours to mix, install and finish 572 square feet, 400 for the handicap parking pad and 172 for the walkway.”
For the APCC installation, Smith crafted a custom mix, combining Porous Pave fine-cut (1/8-1/4 inch) black rubber chips and traditional size (1/4-3/8 inch) grey rubber chips with the kiln-dried aggregate. The color and texture of the permeable pavement blend with the existing asphalt driveway on the APCC property and complement the style and color of the traditional shake shingles, which are commonly used on the exterior walls of buildings on Cape Cod. “The mix also suggests the color and texture of the loose gravel driveways of many homes and commercial buildings on the Cape,” said Smith.
“The Living Landscape Laboratory is intended to inspire local property owners to adopt sustainable landscape practices and use green building materials,” said Sprague. “However, especially homeowners, first want any materials they choose to look good and work well. When I speak to groups of visitors at APCC, everyone is impressed with the appearance and function of Porous Pave.”
Association to Preserve Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a fragile land of unique habitats and sensitive natural resources. Our ponds, meadows, forests, dunes, salt marshes, heathlands and beaches are inextricably linked to our economy and way of life. The Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) is the region’s leading nonprofit environmental organization, working for the adoption of laws, policies and programs that protect and enhance Cape Cod’s natural resources and quality of life. Since 1968, our efforts have led to landmark achievements in water resource protection, land preservation and smart growth, earning APCC the reputation as Cape Cod’s most prominent and influential environmental advocacy group. For more information, visit www.apcc.org.
Porous Pave, Inc.
Porous Pave, Inc. (Grant, Mich.) manufactures Porous Pave, a highly porous, durable and flexible surfacing material consisting of recycled rubber, aggregate and a liquid binding agent. An eco-friendly green building product made in the U.S.A., Porous Pave is the proven pour-in-place permeable paving solution that offers superior permeability for stormwater retention, exceptional versatility, and demonstrated durability. Resilient and slip resistant, Porous Pave conforms to any landscape design and is easy to install on grades up to 30 degrees. For examples of successful applications, visit www.porouspaveinc.com. Stay up to date with Porous Pave on LinkedIn.