What's new

High rainfall, impermeability of surfaces and increased consumption - climate change and increasing urbanization at a global level are disrupting the natural water cycle and increasing pressure on stormwater management systems, that are often aging as well as under capacity.

In light of this, the Group has created Hydromedia™, a new generation pervious concrete, the result of 2 years' research in collaboration with university laboratories, civil engineering companies and project owners.

As a result of its very high permeability and drainage capacity, Hydromedia™ :

• absorbs rainwater and facilitates its natural runoff into the ground to replenish groundwater.
• avoids saturation of the stormwater treatment network, reducing the risk of flooding in urban areas.
• reduces water accumulation on roads and paths. This means fewer puddles, safer roads, pathways and parking lots for the city's users.

"Hydromedia™ is already being deployed in markets including Canada and the United States, which are experiencing increasingly extreme weather conditions and where  stormwater systems are aging and overloaded," explains Bruce Willmer, VP marketing and product development with the Aggregates & Concretes business. "By the end of 2011, Hydromedia™ will also be launched in the UK, France, US, Spain and South Africa. Other launches are planned during 2012, particularly in India, Romania, Jordan, Brazil and Vietnam." 

"Due to its viscous but also fluid formulation, Hydromedia™ is easier to place than existing pervious concretes," says Fabien Pérez, head of the project team responsible for developing Hydromedia™ at the Lafarge Research Centre. "This cutting-edge technology also gives it greater robustness and greater long-term resistance."

Mainly designed for use in an urban environment, it is especially well suited to:

• low-traffic roads (cycle paths, parking lots, driveways and side walks)
• sports pitches
• It can also be used as a capping layer, as an alternative to cement gravel.

Hydromedia™ offers optimum performances when incorporated into stormwater systems designed for a particular soil type.

The qualities of Hydromedia™ allow it to respond to the requirements of the leading environmental labels for constructions (HQE in France, BREEAM in the UK and LEED in the United States):

• It facilitates the natural infiltration of water on site.
• Its lighter shades can reduce public lighting by 25%. They also reflect sunlight energy and minimizes overheating during the summer.
• Finally, Hydromedia™ assists in the reduction of pollution: retaining suspended sediments entrained in the stormwater thus reducing heavy metal and hydrocarbon concentrations and minimizing the impact of these pollutants on groundwater!