The heat island effect is often blamed for the rising temperature in urban environments. Compared to suburban and rural areas that are more open, urban settings are typically hotter due to the pervasiveness of impermeable hard surfaces such as pavements. Impermeable surfaces capture and store heat, and can only cool off slowly. Permeable pavements, on the other hand, can reduce an area's lingering heat, allowing it to cool off more quickly.
Porous paving allows water to drain through naturally, cooling the pavement. Additional cooling takes place when the absorbed water evaporates back up through the voids in the paving, called the wicking effect, with the evaporating moisture continuing to cool the surrounding air and paving. A lighter coloured pavement is recommended as more heat is reflected back, reducing radiation from the surface.
Landscapers and property owners should consider the heat factor when specifying paving materials. Porous paving does not require additional drainage since the pavement drains naturally, while it also meets aesthetic and lifespan expectations.
Contact StoneSet Permeable Paving for porous pavement solutions.
