W
Water
Rechsand Filter Pavers
& water-permeable paving
Rain is a Resource,
Not a nuisance
Make Rain a Resource
(not a nuisance)
One of the very first signs of human civilization is the making of paved surfaces. All civilizations, throughout the march of time, have faced the same flooding, maintenance and safety problems with pavements. Rechsand paving solutions solve a number of these vexing problems using innovative nanocoating technologies:
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Flood mitigation – water just "disappears" into the pavement, keeping streets and sidewalks safer and cleaner.
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Water preservation and use – rainfall, filtered and then stored in gas-permeable sand-based cistern systems, can be conserved and then used to irrigate landscaping or to supplement the local water supply, particularly in rural areas
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Snow removal and ice management – snow and ice present immense dangers to pedestrians and drivers. Snow and ice just doesn't stick to Rechsand and Rechsand paved surfaces are much, much safer than conventional pavements.
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Aesthetics – "Paving over paradise and putting in a parking lot" not necessarily be at cross-purposes: 1) Rechsand paving solutions have a very low environmental impact; 2) Rechsand water conservation systems can be used to counter the effects of changing weather patterns by having water cleanly and safely stored right where rainfall amounts and the timing of rain is no longer predictable; 3) Rechsand can be cast into any form and dyed any color to blend in and/or to visually enhance the surroundings.
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Maintenance – Rechsand paving solutions require considerably less maintenance. Hydrophobic filter paving is not subject to seasonal potholes and cracks, chewing gum doesn't stick to it, and engine oil stain disappear quickly on their own.
Global climate change is leading to changing weather patterns. Some urban areas are experiencing levels of annual rainfall far exceeding amounts ever recorded. Sewer infrastructures become overloaded during rain events and streets and pedestrian areas flood. The economic impact of flood damage and lost wages is crippling. Often, a city has not recovered from a previous flooding even before the next one starts. Flooding also strips precious topsoil and can lead to desertification, particularly along riverbeds.
Rechsand paving bricks and on-site spreadable paving materials allow water to seep straight through–not around. Patented Rechsand nanocoatings create sand-based materials which are about as strong as concrete, but allow water and air molecules to pass directly through them. As the water seeps through the brick, the brick filters the rain runoff, much like a sand filter, while effectively eliminating the accumulation of standing water. The risk of urban flooding is thus greatly reduced. Puddles are a thing of the past–they simply disappear into the pavement.
Water passing through the Rechsand paving materials can be collected in Rechsand-lined catchment systems, stored and used, for example, to water landscaping. Because the cistern system is similarly air-permeable, the water does not become stagnant and remains fresh for many years.
Rechsand filter pavers and Rechsand catchment cistern systems are a proven case study. China is currently building 200 so-called “sponge cities”, in which rainfall and runoff will be filtered through the pavement and collected for use in irrigation. This cistern system has been implemented in both urban areas to relieve flooding and to efficiently use rainfall and in rural areas to provide drinking water to thousands. This Rechsand technology promises to make cities safer and cleaner and rural areas supplied with clean water.
RECHSAND
Patented Technology
Filter Paver Advantages
No More Puddles
Rainwater disappears into the pavement, leaving streets and sidewalks safer for pedestrians and drivers.
Flood Mitigation
Property is protected from the damaging effects of urban flooding. People are protected from the health risks of urban flooding.
Clean Water
Water is filtered from particulate matter, oils, grease, and street grime as it passes through the permeable bricks.
No More Shoveling Snow and No More Damaging Rock Salt
The microscopic pockets of air in this material serve to naturally insulate it: Light and regular snowfall just doesn't stick to it. Pedestrians and drivers are safer on Rechsand pavements. Municipalities save on snow removal costs.
No More Chewing Gum Blobs and Oil Stains–Clean Sidewalks and Public Spaces
The Rechsand Filter Paver surface also repels viscous materials like engine oil and chewing gum. Paved surfaces remain clean.
No More Cracks and Potholes
At the molecular level, water is repelled from the brick material. Therefore, only very few molecules will remain within the microscopic spaces. For this reason, this paving material is not subject to freeze/thaw thermal expansion and the resulting cracking and breaking like conventional paving materials.
Filter Pavers are Attractive
Rechsand hydrophobic sand can be cast in any shape and dyed any color. Architects and urban planners can implement pavement solutions that not only keep their streets and sidewalks cleaner and safer, but they can also design custom paving which fits aesthetically into the environs.
NET
ZERO
WATER
Water Net Zero – Filter Paver / Cistern / Irrigation System
Beautiful Rechsand filter pavers are environmentally friendly and low maintenance. Water seeps directly through the pavement and into the ground below, or, if paired with the Rechsand water catchment system, captured and retained for later use.
Rain runoff can be captured and stored in a sand-based catchment system. This sand-based construction is gas permeable, allowing the water to remain as fresh as ground water. This water can be used to irrigate surrounding landscaping or serve as a reservoir in areas with limited access to fresh water.
Make Rain a Resource
(not a nuisance)
Water Net Zero – Filter Paver / Cistern / Irrigation System
"Sponge City" Water Net Zero Urban Planning
A Rechsand "Sponge City" is a community's own managed hydrological cycle:
Rainfall is a Resource
(not a nuisance).
"Sponge City": A City's Own Hydrocycle
The Filter Pavement / Water Catchment / Water Supply system can be used over entire urban areas creating, in effect, a very localized water cycle. Cities can manage rainfall as a resource instead of a nuisance. Captured rainfall can be used in irrigation, fire extinguishing, and public water features.
The nation of China is presently building 200 so-called "sponge cities." The paved surfaces in these cities, as the name suggests, literally soak up rainfall like a sponge. Rechsand sponge cities, on the one hand, mitigate the damage and dangers of urban flooding when it rains, and, on the other, maintain a source of easily accessible fresh water during periods of drought. In this way, a municipality can actually design and manage its very own hydrocycle.
Rural Clean Water Conservation and Management
Sand-based rainfall management systems allow rural areas removed from a direct water source to create a clean local water supply.
The catchment system pictured here is located in a very remote area and provides fresh water for some 2,000 people in the local community.
Make Rain a Resource
(not a nuisance)
