Paving solution to an existing pathway predicament
Brisbane City Council contacted Adbri Masonry to discuss permeable paving as a potential solution to damaged pavements in the city’s renowned Botanic Gardens which was caused by the tree roots of 130 year old Moreton Bay Figs. After meeting on site, Adbri Masonry’s in-house engineers proposed a design to allow water to filtrate through the pavement layers into the sub-grade and garden beds in an effort to keep the tree roots from coming to the surface in search of water.

This project utilised approximately 250 square metres of Ecotrihex® permeable pavers, requiring around 90 tonnes of sub base aggregate and a further 10 tonnes of 7mm drainage aggregate for the bedding and jointing of the pavers. This project was designed, supplied, installed and certified by Adbri Masonry’s Contracting Services supply and install division. Brisbane City Council was delighted with the result and have instigated discussions with Adbri Masonry to undertake similar repairs in two more locations in the gardens.

Moore Park East Event Bus Station
An ecological paving system provided several solutions for problems associated with the set down area for the bus station located in Moore Park, which services the entertainment precinct that includes the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Sydney Football Stadium and Fox Studios. One of the major challenges of the project was the requirement for sufficient aeration and moisture to nine heritage listed ‘Hills Weeping Figs.’ To solve the problem, the project utilised the benefits of permeable paving with Adbri Masonry’s Ecotrihex® paving system which provided tree protection, sustainability, as well as a durable, yet safe pedestrian surface for pedestrian traffic and occasional vehicular loads.

The design consisted of building up a pavement on top of the existing subgrade. Careful trimming was undertaken to leave the tree roots undisturbed. This was followed by the addition and compaction of several sub base layers, with varying sizes of aggregates to ensure adequate filtration of water run off. Finally the drainage voids and joints were swept with a 2-5mm crushed aggregate and the pavement compacted until the aggregate in the drainage voids was full to the surface.

Aesthetically, the landscape architect selected 9,000 square metres of segmental pavers to give a softer appearance to the large expanse of pavement, combining honed Ebony coloured Trihex® and Ecotrihex® pavers with a contrasting white aggregate in the drainage voids to enhance visual appeal. The result is an attractive yet functional pavement that has performed to the demanding requirements for over 10 years. The use of the Ecotrihex® permeable paving system enabled the designers to achieve the environmental requirements for the project with a simple and durable design.