ECOBuilder-Specifiers Journal spring2018

HOW DREXUS PAVE DRAIN IS SET TO
CHANGE THE FACE OF DRAINAGE
For centuries drainage has been considered a purely functional
element of any design. So much so that it’s often something
landscape architects try to squirrel away and hide – anything
to ensure it doesn’t detract from the overall look and feel of the
space that’s being created.
Essentially drainage is viewed as a necessary evil, with metal
grated systems a particular eyesore. All too often expensive slot
drainage is the only solution left standing – purely due to the
relative subtlety of the product, at least when compared to the
alternatives.
But that’s all now set to change. In a huge leap forward for the
industry, landscape architects no longer need worry about how
to incorporate drainage or conceal it from view. In fact, there’s
now a reason to actively embrace it.
demarcation, creating the sort of zoning that allows great public
areas to do all that’s increasingly being asked of them.
Blending
Where a landscape architect still wants to hide the drainage, it can
now be created in the same material and colour as the surrounding
paving – allowing it to be subtly integrated into the paving design.
It means there is no longer any need to resort to ugly grates or
expensive slot drains, marking a huge step forward for the industry.
Thistle Street lies at the heart of Scotland’s capital city in Edinburgh’s
New Town. Built in stages between 1767 and 1850, retaining much
of its original neo classical and Georgian period architecture, the
New Town is considered a masterpiece of city planning. Together
with the Old Town, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 1995.
Marshalls is the UK’s leading hard landscaping provider – and now
we can supply drainage that blends with our concrete paving and
natural stone ranges.
With Drexus Pave Drain, Marshalls can provide a discreet natural
stone topped drainage solution in the exact same material
as the paving that surrounds it. This means the drainage can
either blend into the landscape to effectively hide it, or be
contrasted to offer some form of delineation to frame a public
space and create a design feature.
In short, drainage no longer needs to be a barrier to great
design. With Drexus Pave Drain it can actually contribute
to the aesthetic appeal and the functionality of an outdoor
space.
Engineers at Edinburgh City Council were looking to improve
drainage around the walkways in this essentially flat area. With
pedestrian safety and comfort in mind, they wanted to minimise
the issues of ponding
and standing water,
creating effective
channels and falls
while retaining the
character of these
charming city streets.
Marshalls’ Drexus
Pave Drain provided
the perfect solution,
offering a unique
aesthetic for linear
drainage. Utilising
Marshalls’ expertise
in both concrete
and natural stone,
Pave Drain offers an
effective combined
paving and drainage
solution which
perfectly complements
natural stone paving
products, including
the Scoutmoor Yorkstone installed on Thistle Street.
Drexus XL Natural
Stone Pave Drain
Drexus XL Natural Stone Pave Drain
Delineation
Pave Drain can be used as an effective delineator between
pedestrian and vehicular areas instead of a line of paving –
essentially killing two birds with one stone.
Available in a variety of designs and finishes, suitable for any
public realm development, the Pave Drain concept combines a
natural stone upper section complete with drainage slots and
a concrete channel block which sits below the upper section,
allowing surface water to drain away below the surface of the
walkway.
Heavy traffic isn’t an issue either. Pave Drain achieves a loading
classification of D400, making it suitable for areas subject to
vehicular overrun as well as pedestrian traffic, helping to create
better landscapes for some of Britain’s most iconic sites.
It was recently installed at a hospital bus interchange where
the drainage is being used as a delineator between the road
and pavement. As emergency vehicles need access a kerb was
inappropriate, but Pave Drain was still able to make the layout
clear to both pedestrians and vehicles.
A line of drainage can also be supplied in a contrasting colour to
be used as a border around a public space. As the product can now
be rendered in the same texture and material, it no longer looks
unsightly but instead functions as a design feature in its own right.
At a time when living space is at a premium and keeps having to
work harder, Drexus Pave Drain can provide subtle but effective
Dovetailing perfectly with existing hard landscaping products
along Thistle Street, Marshalls Pave Drain is now playing an
important role in maintaining safe and well-drained pedestrian
walkways serving the shops and restaurants in this bustling and
beautiful area of Scotland’s capital.
The unique ability of Marshalls’ Drexus Pave Drain to sympathetically
blend drainage into a scheme, or use it to provide subtle but
effective demarcation, means it has the potential to play a gamechanging
role in the world of landscape architecture – and find a
place at the heart of every kind of project imaginable.
For more information, please visit the Pave Drain product page
34 ECOBUILDER - THE SPECIFIER SPRING 2018