RAINWATER MANAGEMENT
GROUND RULES G
rass and gravel are regular favourites for landscapers and their clients. You can’t beat the green swathe of a lawn, while gravel
comes in a wide range of colours and finishes to deliver a distinct look and a satisfying crunch under foot.
Alas, grass is soon spoiled by a muddy path or deep ruts, while gravel scatters beyond where it is laid, becomes an uneven series of peaks and troughs and pushing a wheelbarrow or push chair can be hard work. While some homeowners may ask for paving to overcome this issue, reinforcement tiles offer an alternative that looks after the environment as part of a sustainable drainage approach to water management.
Angus Crichton, house & garden marketing manager at ACO Water Management, says that merchants need a clear understanding of how ground reinforcement grids work and why they’re necessary. “Put simply, ground reinforcement grids enable landscapers to deliver regularly traversed grass and gravel surfaces that withstand the impact of traffic while maintaining their appearance,” he says.
Grass protection
The grids’ honeycomb matrix of cells transfers any load to the sub-base below, protecting grass from damage. Each grid is designed to withstand a maximum load, so merchants need to ask if it needs to withstand the weight of a person, or an HGV. For gravel, the cells lock the stones in place where it is laid, preventing scatter and making movement across the surface easier. The size and supportive structure of the cell ensures the gravel remains smooth and undisturbed when an individual with a walking stick or in a wheelchair moves across it. Crichton says that, additionally, tiles can be easily cut to meet the edges of an adjoining surface, providing a smooth transition from one surface to another for those with walking aids. “In this way, ground reinforcement tiles can help landscapers to fulfil building regulations for people to gain access to buildings.” He adds that ground reinforcement grids also enable landscapers to offer their clients a permeable paving solution, so it’s important
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that merchants are well-informed on why permeability is increasingly necessary. “The open structure of the cells allows rainwater to pass through to the layers beneath to find its way into groundwater, whereas impermeable paving generates runoff, which enters the sewerage system and contributes to the sewage overflows into our waterways,” he says.
Discharge rules
Guidelines introduced in 2008 mean that, when a new drive is laid or renovated, rainwater must be dispersed on site and not allowed to drain into the road or pavement, with planning permission required to discharge rainwater from front drives into the sewerage system. In England and Wales, this applies to surfaces over 5m2, while in Scotland, the rule applies to all drives whatever the area.
Crichton says: “As with all paving, the unseen sub-base does the heavy lifting of supporting the weight above while allowing rainwater through,” pointing out that ground reinforcement tiles require the following layers beneath to deliver regularly traversed, yet permeable, grass and gravel surfaces: ¡ Aggregates: the sub-base is built up with free draining layers of MOT Type 3, the depth of which is dependent on the soil type below and the traffic above. A free-draining sub-base such as MOT Type 3 is essential to deliver a higher level of drainage, particularly if grass is sown into the grid. Sharp sand for gravel or topsoil for grass is required for the laying course. ¡ Membranes: a permeable geotextile should be laid beneath and above the sub-base, ensuring the sub-base does not move into the sub-layer, nor the laying course into the
sub-base. Thus, each layer fulfils its structural function, while allowing rainwater through. ¡ Fixings: When grids are installed on a slope and/or are subjected to greater sideways forces, such as vehicles turning, grids must be secured with suitable pegs or nails and an edging product installed to prevent the tiles moving. ACO offers builders’ merchants two ground reinforcement products: GravelGuard and GroundGuard. ACO GravelGuard is ideal for gravel surfaces traversed by foot, bike or wheelchair. Its built-in geotextile prevents gravel from moving into the laying course of sand beneath. ACO GroundGuard, meanwhile, can withstand the weight of domestic vehicles and can be planted with grass or filled with gravel. White markers can also be inserted into the cells to create lines for parking bays. “Crucially, both provide sustainable drainage that eases the pressure on storm drains and waterways. ACO BorderGuard can be used with both as an edging solution, which prevent the tiles moving sideways,” Crichton says. “Our suite of ground reinforcement products enables merchants to provide landscapers with products to meet their customers’ practical and aesthetic goals that are also eco-friendly.” BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net May 2024
Ground reinforcement grids enable landscapers to lay grass and gravel surfaces that can be traversed regularly. BMJ explores what merchants need to know about them.
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