Breathing Ecological Roads – GRAA winner

The IRF office in Washington has presented an award to revolutionary ecological permeable pavement that helps avoid heat islands Climate specialists and town planners everywhere are increasingly aware of the thermal impacts of city pavements which trap heat on hot summer days, and are known as “urban heat islands”. These heat islands can adversely impact the sustainability of cities by increasing the dependence on mechanical cooling. Permeable pavements, such as porous asphalt, offer some relief but typi
May 10, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
The breathable road has won a GRAA award from IRF Global for its innovative engineering
The 8781 Washington-based IRF Global has presented an award to revolutionary ecological permeable pavement that helps avoid heat islands


Climate specialists and town planners everywhere are increasingly aware of the thermal impacts of city pavements which trap heat on hot summer days, and are known as “urban heat islands”. These heat islands can adversely impact the sustainability of cities by increasing the dependence on mechanical cooling. Permeable pavements, such as porous asphalt, offer some relief but typically provide weak load-bearing strength and require more frequent and costly maintenance due to clogging over time.

One of the most promising innovations to emerge in recent years is the JW Eco-Technology which overcomes drawbacks of traditional engineered pavements by combining load-bearing, high water permeability, high air permeability, high water storage, carbon and dust capture properties. In fact, an estimated 50% of vehicle exhaust pollutants in car emissions can be trapped through the use of pervious pavements.

JW Eco-Technology effectively converts roads into water sources with air circulation, such that pavements can form the basis for a natural underground ecosystem, whilst preserving higher compressive strength than traditional concrete with an expected life span of more than 30 years.

Tiny holes connect the surface of the pavement to water pipes made from recycled plastic and reinforced with concrete. A bed of gravel beneath acts to filter water, which flows into a storage tank for rainwater, and is drained through underground pipes much like a hidden river under the road.  

This system, currently used in hundreds of towns across Asia, also filters carbon dioxide and other pollutants from air and rain water using the same absorption properties.  All materials and labour can be taken and utilised locally, and the concrete construction process is widely used in the industry.

According to inventor Jui-Wen Chen, Chairman of Ding Tai Co. “Once JW pavements are deployed on a large scale, a city’s streets become a living sponge contributing to an active local ecosystem. We thus offer new weapons to confront the challenges of climate change.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Importance of road/tunnel drainage systems
    May 8, 2012
    A variety of systems are available for quickly and efficiently removing water from roads as Patrick Smith reports. The presence of water in a highway layer reduces the bearing capacity of the road, and in doing so it also reduces the structure's lifetime. Indeed, the recent extremely cold winter in many parts of Europe has shown that in colder climates there is a risk of frost damage when water is present resulting in costly potholes, so drainage systems performing properly are important in road design.
    Read More
  • Brine spraying can boost winter road safety and cut materials costs
    February 16, 2015
    A study on the use of a brine sprayer on the A8 Autobahn in Germany has yielded valuable data - *Jo Rommeswinkel writes. Since 2007, Autobahnplus Services (a+S) has been providing the operation and maintenance services on the 52km concession Autobahn A8 between Munich and Augsburg in Bavaria, a region renowned for its severe winter maintenance conditions. The Munich Augsburg section comprises 48km of six-lane dual carriageway and 4km of four-lane dual carriageway. Part of the road surface consists of low-no
    Read More
  • Pervious concrete improves storm water drainage
    April 10, 2012
    MINNESOTA CITIES including Minneapolis and Richfield have been testing pervious concrete on parking lots and other hard surfaces to improve storm water management. In Shoreview MN, the authorities went a stage further by opting to replace a storm drainage system with pervious concrete.
    Read More
  • Innovative new drainage solutions will help keep roads free from water
    October 2, 2014
    An array of new technologies will help optimise road drainage and minimise flooding risks - Mike Woof reports In the UK the specialist contractor Lanes Group has carried out extensive inspection work of the drainage systems for the M6 toll route around the city of Birmingham. A powerful zoom camera has been used to carry out the inspection work for Midland Expressway, which operates and maintains the 43km-long motorway, running from Coleshill to Cannock.
    Read More

Highlighted Content