Grasscrete: Sustainable Urban Drainage Product

The idea is a simple one, the surface area of Grasscrete is 47% concrete and 53% holes (to be filled with Grass). Grasscrete is a pervious reinforced concrete structure for all types of areas that require traffic, either foot or wheel. Grass will generally spread and cover much of the concrete in areas not subject to regular vehicle traffic. Holes may also be filled or covered with crushed stone, seashells, and a wide variety of other drainable materials in cases where grass is not desired.

Grasscrete is made by pouring concrete over “Formers” which is a mold that leaves voids in the concrete. Grasscrete Formers come in two types. A re-usable plastic tool that is used only for fully grassed or concealed installations or the more common single-use Molded Pulp Former used for all Grasscrete types.
The Molded Pulp is made up of 100% recycled paper sourced from both post industrial and post consumer waste streams. The pulp is suspended in a water slurry and vacuum formed to a mold. The mold is then air dried to form a solid product. This material is based on the same biodegradable material commonly found at nurseries that plant pots are made from. Individual Grasscrete Formers are 24″ x 48″ in outside dimension and are 5 ¬Ω” deep and every square foot of properly installed Grasscrete is connected with steel reinforcement.
SUDS, better known as ‚ÄòSustainable Urban Drainage ‘is becoming an increasingly used term with planners and developers seeking to mitigate the implications of handling surface water run-off on the local storm water network. Although the use of pre-formed tanks is a fairly recent innovation, grasscrete has developed and pushed “on-site” solution to storm water management. Pre-formed tank water management often involves the use of self-draining paving layers together with the installation of pre-formed sub-ground retention tanks, to store surface water for a controlled release into the drainage network. Grasscrete believes that a more uniform percolation process will create a more natural balance thereby reducing the risk of shrinkage in clay soils due to the urbanized modification of water tables.
Some other benefits to the Grasscrete concept include the improved reflectance of the crete as compared to blacktop, reducing the heat island effect. Grasscrete handles runoff and storm drainage via river training, slope protection and channels. It is also a sound product for retaining pond bottoms thanks to its pervious nature and helps provide a food source and cover for pond inhabitants. All in all grasscrete is a great product for the proper application depending upon one’s needs.