Editorial team · Sanitation, Roads, Network
InfoWeb Marketplace · Editorial team
Published on 7 October 2019 · 2 min read
Alkern's O' Range for Permeable Roads: The Solution to Prevent Flooding
InfoWeb Marketplace · Editorial teamPublished on 7 October 2019 · 2 min read
Alkern designs and develops certified, eco-responsible technical solutions every day that respond effectively to the requirements of road, infrastructure and civil engineering works.
Close to local communities through its locations (55 production sites) and its corporate culture, Alkern supports public officials and public works specialists in developing the city of the future: a city that is both pleasant to live in and respectful of the environment.
With innovative, certified technical solutions, Alkern addresses each of their urban projects. Alkern's technical teams therefore work alongside decision-makers to meet the challenges posed by soil sealing and the development of dense, vertical housing in cities. These factors are behind the repeated flooding in many areas and the proliferation of heat islands in urban spaces. With its O' range dedicated to the creation of permeable roads, Alkern offers a wide choice of certified solutions that limit these phenomena and their harmful consequences.
Soil sealing in France continues to increase. Between 2006 and 2015, it grew by 1,6% per year and, today, 9,3% of mainland France is covered with a material impermeable to air and water. This loss of ground permeability has serious consequences. Water no longer seeps into the subsoil but remains on the surface, to be immediately channeled to the sewers.
A simple comparison is enough to understand the impact of soil sealing. In a natural area, it is generally considered that 50% of rainwater infiltrates the soil, 40% evaporates and 10% remains on the surface, whereas in an urban area only 15% infiltrates, less than 30% evaporates and 55% remains on the surface. As a result, with each heavy rainfall episode in areas with sealed soils, water collection systems and watercourses overflow very quickly, causing repeated flooding.
The appearance of heat islands in cities is a well-known phenomenon. Linked to the density of buildings, particularly tall buildings that absorb more heat, this environment creates a thermal dome under which temperatures are higher than in less urban areas, especially at night.
Water evaporation helps regulate these temperature excesses and naturally cools spaces. However, soil sealing causes rainwater to run off immediately into underground sewers, preventing the slow, cooling process of evaporation.
Alkern's solutions for making public spaces permeable, whether they are intended for vehicle traffic, parking or pedestrian use, are grouped within its O' range and come in three types of offers.
Thanks to their cells, these slabs provide permeable, draining areas that can be planted with vegetation and are therefore perfectly suited to fighting heat islands.
Attractive and suitable for all types of traffic (including PRM), Alkern permeable pavers fulfill their traditional paving functions as well as providing effective drainage, with almost immediate infiltration of rainwater.
Because of moderately or even poorly permeable subsoils, draining solutions placed at the surface may not be enough to meet the constraints of project owners. Alkern therefore offers to combine these draining products with the Hydrocyl solution to create an in-situ reservoir, which regulates the infiltration of rainwater or its discharge into the sewers.
Close to local communities through its locations (55 production sites) and its corporate culture, Alkern supports public officials and public works specialists in developing the city of the future: a city that is both pleasant to live in and respectful of the environment.
With innovative, certified technical solutions, Alkern addresses each of their urban projects. Alkern's technical teams therefore work alongside decision-makers to meet the challenges posed by soil sealing and the development of dense, vertical housing in cities. These factors are behind the repeated flooding in many areas and the proliferation of heat islands in urban spaces. With its O' range dedicated to the creation of permeable roads, Alkern offers a wide choice of certified solutions that limit these phenomena and their harmful consequences.
Soil sealing, a flooding amplifier
Soil sealing in France continues to increase. Between 2006 and 2015, it grew by 1,6% per year and, today, 9,3% of mainland France is covered with a material impermeable to air and water. This loss of ground permeability has serious consequences. Water no longer seeps into the subsoil but remains on the surface, to be immediately channeled to the sewers.
A simple comparison is enough to understand the impact of soil sealing. In a natural area, it is generally considered that 50% of rainwater infiltrates the soil, 40% evaporates and 10% remains on the surface, whereas in an urban area only 15% infiltrates, less than 30% evaporates and 55% remains on the surface. As a result, with each heavy rainfall episode in areas with sealed soils, water collection systems and watercourses overflow very quickly, causing repeated flooding.
A multiplier of urban heat islands
The appearance of heat islands in cities is a well-known phenomenon. Linked to the density of buildings, particularly tall buildings that absorb more heat, this environment creates a thermal dome under which temperatures are higher than in less urban areas, especially at night.
Water evaporation helps regulate these temperature excesses and naturally cools spaces. However, soil sealing causes rainwater to run off immediately into underground sewers, preventing the slow, cooling process of evaporation.
Alkern restores a draining function to roads and public spaces
Alkern's solutions for making public spaces permeable, whether they are intended for vehicle traffic, parking or pedestrian use, are grouped within its O' range and come in three types of offers.
Infiltration slabs
Thanks to their cells, these slabs provide permeable, draining areas that can be planted with vegetation and are therefore perfectly suited to fighting heat islands.
Permeable pavers
Attractive and suitable for all types of traffic (including PRM), Alkern permeable pavers fulfill their traditional paving functions as well as providing effective drainage, with almost immediate infiltration of rainwater.
In-situ storage
Because of moderately or even poorly permeable subsoils, draining solutions placed at the surface may not be enough to meet the constraints of project owners. Alkern therefore offers to combine these draining products with the Hydrocyl solution to create an in-situ reservoir, which regulates the infiltration of rainwater or its discharge into the sewers.
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