The city of Melbourne has selected FlowStone as its tree pit solution for the Southbank promenade.
The FlowStone tree pit surfacing was selected from the MPS range of paving solutions for its high quality appearance and proven UV stability. The natural river washed pebble selected was “Spring”, which blended well with the bluestone pavers of the precinct.
Trees in urban areas surrounded by pavement need a permeable surface to allow water into the roots. There are a number of systems available for this purpose. Grates are effective but not necessarily sympathetic to the natural ambience intended for the streetscape.
Sand has been used to create a more natural look but suffers from degradation due to foot traffic, wind and rain. This can lead to trip hazards with loose sand on pavement and depressions in the tree pits.
The FlowStone is different because it combines the warmth and beauty of natural stone bonded with specially formulated resins to create a high porosity surfacing system. FlowStone has three key benefits:
- It uses larger single sized stone (8mm), which create a natural void designed for efficient drainage of surface water
- The specially formulated resin keeps the stone bonded in to prevent any material from coming out of the tree pit
- A natural look for all kinds of situations can be created as FlowStone is available in a wide variety of stone colours
