LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL FINISHES 43
STREET SMARTS
Chris Hodson trade association Interpave discloses how precast concrete paving can help to meet planning requirements while adding kerb appeal to a development.
he use of segmental paving to create a hard surface can be traced back over 6,000 years, and precast concrete paving continues this tradition today. But, unlike extracted materials such as stone and clay, precast concrete block, flag, kerb and related paving products are fully engineered and manufactured under modern, controlled conditions. This consistently ensures accurate joint size, colour, texture, slip/skid resistance, and other performance characteristics. Because of this, precast concrete paving can offer a unique level of predictability with consistent, trouble-free performance over the longer term.
T PLANNING REQUIREMENTS
Precast concrete paving helps to meet local and national planning demands for high quality external space, improving appeal to house purchasers as well. For example, the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) seeks safe and accessible developments, containing clear and legible pedestrian routes with attractive public space, and design codes are used to deliver high quality outcomes – covering landscape, layout, materials and access. Intended to augment the NPPF, guidance such as the Manual for Streets
VISUAL APPEAL
Precast concrete paving is uniquely placed to satisfy these demands. Distinct modular units with varied colours, textures and shapes break up areas, providing a visual interest not possible with formless materials such as asphalt. In recent years, manufacturers have transformed this concept, moving away from the simple, regular patterns and colours of the 1970s and 1980s. Today, precast concrete paving offers an extensive palette of styles, shapes, colours and textures can be used to meet
continues to inform the development of local policy and design codes for external public spaces.
Summarised from these guidelines, the key requirements for paving materials include visual appeal and the ability to deliver distinctive local character, with a capability for visual or tactile differentiation between distinct areas. Paving should be durable and maintainable, with reliable product supply, safe and accessible to all, with consistent slip and skid resistance characteristics and good drainage to avoid standing water. Sustainability – in the widest sense – is essential, as is compatibility with Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).
PRECAST CONCRETE PAVING OFFERS HOUSE- BUILDERS AN EXTENSIVE PALETTE OF STYLES
current urban designs, matching – and often exceeding – the visual qualities of materials such as stone. In terms of design potential, pigment technology today allows for a much wider choice of colours, ranging from vibrant or muted tones, to mixes that can emulate other materials. Surface treatments can also
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