FLOODING AND CORE PERMEABLE FOUNDATIONS
Flooding in the United States, Canada and worldwide is a common occurrence that affects millions of people each year, as well as wildlife and our shared ecosystems.
The cause?
Heavy rainfall, melting snow, and storm surges. The primary reason for flooding is the inadequate capacity of storm sewers and urban streams to handle the excess water leading to flood and water damage. In recent years, many cities have turned to permeable surfaces as a solution to this problem.
What are Permeable Surfaces?
Permeable surfaces are materials that allow water to seep through them and into the ground. They are often made of porous materials like gravel, crushed stone, or permeable concrete/asphalt, as well as engineered plastic grids such as CORE foundations which work in conjunction with local gravel. When rain falls on these surfaces, it is absorbed into the ground instead of running off into storm sewers and our urban streams. The reduction of excess water into our storm sewers is key to reducing flood events.
The Benefits?
Permeable surfaces ensure that the groundwater is recharged and that our urban streams don’t experience extreme flood events. Both of these benefits help to ensure a more consistent source of water for drinking, farming and fish. Additional to this, moderating the flows from storm sewers into our urban creeks reduces erosion events, ensuring fish habitat and land is not lost.
And let’s not forget the cost of upgrading our storm sewers as more and more hard surfaces are added to their catchment. This affects government coffers, which….is us.
The Problem with Traditional ‘Permeable’ Surfaces?
Some gravel surfaces, such as gravels with fines, will compress over time and eventually become impermeable. This is also the surface you see with ruts and pooling etc., making this an unattractive, bumpy, impermeable and weed-filled surface. Using loose gravel (with no fines) does offer permeability over time, but with a serious trade-off – a lack of stability and tons of maintenance.
Not to mention, very messy looking if not raked constantly (more maintenance!).
In the case of permeable concrete or asphalt, these foundations have ‘gaps’ through which water can drain, but over time these gaps will fill with debris and prevent drainage. These systems, along with permeable pavers, are quite costly, making it difficult for the average homeowner to include in their landscaping plans.
The Solution? CORE’s Eco-friendly, Low Cost Foundations
Our foundations are an ideal solution for any homeowner who wants to create a beautiful, economical and groundwater recharging system in their own backyard.
Our durable, aesthetically pleasing, ADA compliant, stable and easy to install foundations make creating this porous surface absolutely feasible. You save money, use local materials (gravel) and local labour (you!).
So the next time you’re thinking of building a patio, driveway, parking pad, hot tub base or pathway, think permeable, think CORE!
Thanks for caring.