Porous Lane is a permeable pavement made from recycled tyre rubber, rock aggregate and a proprietary polyurethane binder.
Developed through University of Melbourne research, it is produced in Aotearoa New Zealand under licence by Watersmart. It lets rainwater flow through where it falls, and the rubber makes it semi-flexible and crack resistant, so councils increasingly specify it where tree roots lift footpaths.
The Morrinsville Road shared path in Hamilton is a small section, but around 100 recycled tyres went into it. Porous Lane generally uses between one and a half and three tyres per square metre, and a larger Hamilton project at Lake Domain Drive upcycled just over 250.
The crumb comes from a Tyrewise-registered processor in the Waikato, and Watersmart is itself a Tyrewise-registered partner. “The rubber crumb within our pavement is all New Zealand sourced and processed end-of-life tyres.” Local civil contractors built the path for Hamilton City Council.
Klaudia Matyas, Watersmart’s technical business development manager for civil infrastructure, says the problem it solves is one every growing city faces. “As our cities grow, we keep introducing more footpaths, more cycle lanes, more buildings, increasing the impermeable surface as we go. Porous Lane gives you the ability to build a footpath without decreasing the permeable space available.”
Melbourne’s laboratory testing and field studies gave councils and specifiers peace of mind while Watersmart builds local case studies. Engineers specify it as much for the flexibility the rubber gives as for sustainability. “It’s not just a sustainability-based decision.”
For a product with up to 60% recycled rubber, security of supply matters. With supply in place and awareness growing, the next step is a network of local installers in every region. Klaudia’s view from here is simple. “We want to make this technology the new status quo.”