Challenges with respect to surface design

Water-sensitive design of street spaces

The design of urban streets must consider not only their traffic function but also requirements for the drainage of built-up areas. The expected effects of climate change require a “water-sensitive” approach to designing street spaces that comprises the controlled above-ground emergency run-off during heavy rainfall events as well as retention and infiltration of stormwater and treatment of polluted road runoff. Previously implemented decentralized stormwater management systems relied on a small-scale, “parcel-based” drainage pattern that would no longer be capable of preventing floods during...

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Issue 06/2023

Sponge city and BlueGreenStreets – an interdisciplinary adaptation to the consequences of climate change

The existing challenges in urban development owing to heavy rainfall, urban heat islands and long drought periods will be enhanced due to the consequences of climate change in the future. The concept...

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Issue 08/2009 Portland tries permeable interlocking concrete street pavements

Sustainability with paving blocks

Portland, Oregon, (population 551,000) endeavors to maintain its reputation as an environmentally friendly and innovative city. In 2004, the city government confirmed its commitment to both by...

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Issue 11/2021 Monday, 15th November → Shaping the landscape with precast

Stormwater Management and Treatment

Contaminated stormwater is undoubtingly a significant stressor on aquatic ecosystems due to its content of an orchestra of chemicals including particles, nutrients, salts, metals and persistent...

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Issue 06/2021 BERDING BETON

Berding Beton stormwater management system prevents flooding

This major project will take some more years to completion: Right in the city center of Oldenburg in Northern Germany, EWE, the regional utility group, plans to develop a completely new urban...

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Issue 04/2018 EINSTEIN FUGENTECHNIK

Drainage-joint block pavement for parking facility at Messe Stuttgart

Messe Stuttgart, the exhibition and trade fair center of the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, extends over an area of 105,200 m2 and is thus the tenth largest German exhibition...

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