Permeable Pavers, EC, and ADA Compliant Pavers

By Leo Fellin and Ricky Garza, Pavestone Company

ADA pavers from Hanover Architectural Products??????oe were used at the main entrance of the Intercontinental Hotel in Georgia. People with visual impairments depend on environmental cues, such as the truncated domes on the pavers, to warn them of potential hazards.

Segmental paving systems or paving stones have been implemented as pavement surfaces for over 2,000 years, dating back as far as the Roman Empire.

The present version of concrete segmental pavement systems were first introduced to North America in the mid 1970s and they have rapidly spread throughout North America as an aesthetically pleasing and functional method of building and designing pavements. Interlocking concrete segmental pavements have been implemented successfully in a variety of applications including municipal streets and sidewalks, heavy industrial pavements, residential driveways, erosion control, as well as permeable pavements that offer an environmentally sensitive pavement solution. The success that segmental paving has encounter is indicative of the system?EUR??,,????'???s proven ability to perform under an array of soil and climate conditions, its low life cycle cost, and its low maintenance. These reasons along with many others are driving designers, contractors and end users to specify segmental systems like, ADA compliant pavers, permeable concrete pavements, and concrete erosion concrete blocks.

An Additional Guidance Provision

As revitalizations of downtown areas increase and more pedestrian friendly retail/commercial developments are introduced, the need for well-planned pedestrian traffic schemes will be vital to the success of these projects. By designing well-planned vehicular and pedestrian traffic schemes insures the safety of pedestrians, which is a priority of any developer, designer and facility manager. ADA truncated dome pavers insure that these traffic schemes are a success by being an additional guidance provision for wheelchair and pedestrian access to streets, sidewalks and crosswalks at vehicular and pedestrian intersections.

Manufactured in accordance with the requirements set in the Americans Disabilities Act (ADA), these pavers are fabricated with a non-slip texture that is applied to the surface. Photo Courtesy of Hanover Architectural Products.

An Essential Part of the System

ADA compliant pavers are an essential part of a system that allows individuals with physical or sensory disability to navigate through pedestrian and vehicular zones by providing a visual and textural contrast to conventional pavements that delineates pedestrian crosswalks. Along with offering a functional role, ADA pavers are a cost effective and low maintenance alternative to conventional poured-in-place rigid pavements. Unlike standard concrete or stamped concrete, segmental pavers are part of a flexible system that will not crack when foundation soils start to shift. This, in turn, leads to less maintenance and a lower life cycle cost associated with this pavement.

Also, because there is no curing time associated with segmental concrete pavers, the installation time is considerably less than conventional concrete. This translates into reducing the lost revenue that businesses incur due street and sidewalk closings, decreases traffic flow congestions, and reduces the inconveniences that come with streetscape construction projects.