K.B. Industries, Inc. (KBI) created the world’s first flexible porous paving in 2001 and offers a comprehensive suite of proven products and solutions to solve the toughest infrastructure challenges. From its category-leading KBI Flexi®-Pave to its newest innovations in water treatment and shoreline protection, K.B. Industries combines technology and experience to solve problems using its innovative materials and designs.
By combining recycled passenger tire rubber along with rock aggregate in a monolithic surface, K.B. Industries created a massively porous, but structural material that can be used for a variety of infrastructure application to great success. Don’t settle for imitators; only KBI Flexi-Pave has more than a decade of proven testing and successful projects from around the globe.
The KBI Flexi-Pave walkways serve as the conduit for positive groundwater recharge while removing nitrates and phosphates from the stormwater that perk through it. KBI Flexi-Pave has the capacity of supporting more than 18 tons per square foot, and the self-cleaning aspect makes it virtually maintenance free. KBI Flexi-Pave does not crack, break, or ravel, and works great in the colder climates where freeze/thaw is an issue. The product is a completely sustainable LEED-certified construction material that exceeds ADA compliance with a 0.65 Coefficient of Friction rating.
Here are three case studies that describe the porous material and its versatility:
EINSTEIN MEDICAL
A gift from the Karabots Foundation to Einstein Health Care Network has made it possible to improve the facility on 1330 Powell Street in Norristown, Pennsylvania. The building is being renamed Nicholas and Athena Karabots Medical Building in honor of the donors.
Along with the replacement of the outdated central air conditioning systems and two elevators, cosmetic improvements to the common areas of the building include new carpet, paint, new lighting and ceiling tiles, and a new façade with warm and welcoming landscaping.
Simone Collins, a prominent landscape architect from the community, was tasked with creating a welcoming curb appeal. Knowing the ability of plants and trees to take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, Simone Collins set out to create a beautiful, long-lasting green space at the entrance to the facility.
“We were concerned with the typical problems tree roots cause. Street trees cause heaving and cracking of the concrete sidewalks that border the tree boxes. Mulch is messy and requires continued maintenance,” says Sarah Leeper, landscape architect for Simone Collins. “A product like Flexi-Pave around the trees provides a neat, clean appearance with little to no maintenance.”
HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM
St. Marys is known for its access to outdoor activities, including trout streams and state hunting lands, and like many municipalities in Pennsylvania, struggles with conserving the natural beauty while finding a cost-effective way of managing stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff leads to everything from poor water quality to flooding, severe erosion, and droughts.
In October 2014, approval was given to KTH Architects for architectural services for the proposed stadium renovation/alterations project at the St. Marys High School Dutch Country Stadium. The management of stormwater management was one of their tasks.
KBI Flexi-Pave, a porous paving made with recycled tires was the material of choice for the walkways for the stadium renovation. Percolating at 2,400 gallons per square foot per hour, KBI Flexi-Pave addresses the stormwater runoff requirements and provides a flexible walking surface.
“KBI Flexi-Pave dramatically affected the cost of stormwater management. We were able to eliminate the stormwater piping system from the project, which was a big saving. KBI Flexi-Pave’s use of recycled tires also provides for a pleasant, flexible walking surface,” says Jerry Bankovich, KTH Architects, Inc.
NATIONAL PARK
Yellowstone National Park, established in March 1872, is the first national park in the world. More than 3.5 million visitors come to the park each year. Ninety percent of these visitors stop to watch Old Faithful erupt and discharge up to 8,400 gallons of water high into the air.
This national treasure with its unique ecosystem is being threatened by the decaying asphalt walkways. Sustaining the ecological integrity of the park is important and the National Park Service has identified a solution and found partners with the technology and expertise to solve the problem.
The National Park Service is addressing the negative ecological effect of asphalt by having the walkways replaced with KBI Flexi-Pave. Unlike asphalt, KBI Flexi-Pave does not leach oil or any other harmful chemicals, controls erosion, and serves as a stormwater filtering system, while recharging groundwater. The walking surface is heat tolerant, durable, and requires minimal maintenance. A completely sustainable product, KBI Flexi-Pave sequesters and recycles one passenger tire for every 3 square foot of material installed.
“The ecological integrity of the park is extremely important to the United States and the world. This pathway is the first of many pathways designed to ensure sustainability for generations to come,” says Steve Lobst, deputy superintendent of Yellowstone National Park.
“The Old Faithful Walkway Project is a great example of what a difference a company devoted to sustainability can make in the world’s first national park,” says Karen Bates Kress, president of Yellowstone Park Foundation. Think porous paving for your next project.
For More Information:
KBI Flexi®-Pave can solve many infrastructure problems. Consider KBI Flexi-Pave for stormwater management, tree surrounds, trails, sidewalks and cart paths, access roads, erosion control solutions, playgrounds, pools, decks, driveways, parking lots, and more. For more information, visit www.kbius.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, March 2018
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