Client:
City of Yarra
Location:
Cliffton Hill, VIC
Product:
Porous Lane
Project
Gallery
Project
Overview
Yarra City Council, recognizing the need for innovative water-sensitive urban design, piloted the installation of Porous Lane permeable pavement at Rutland Street, Clifton Hill.
The project focused on three pairs of parking bays surrounding a tree pit, covering an area of 80sqm and utilizing 240 recycled waste tyres. The goal was to enhance urban tree health, mitigate stormwater runoff, and reduce the urban heat island effect.
Challenges:
Traditional stormwater management solutions in urban areas often require significant space, which is limited in inner-city environments. Additionally, existing impervious surfaces contribute to runoff pollution, inadequate tree irrigation, and excessive heat retention.
Finding a permeable pavement solution that could withstand high traffic loads, support passive tree irrigation, and provide long-term durability was a key challenge. The installation also required a detailed design process to ensure optimal drainage and integration with existing infrastructure.
The Solution:
Yarra City Council collaborated with Porous Lane to develop a permeable pavement system using recycled tyres bonded with a polyurethane binder. This high-filtration pavement allows water to infiltrate through its surface, directing it towards a reservoir layer beneath the pavement. The stored water is gradually released to passively irrigate trees, ensuring a stable moisture supply. The pavement was specifically engineered to withstand a 1 in 100-year storm event, preventing excess runoff to local drains and waterways.
The council also developed a standard drawing and specification for future implementation, ensuring that the success of this project could be replicated across other locations.
The Outcome:
The implementation of Porous Lane permeable pavement had a significant impact on urban sustainability. Passive irrigation led to tree growth rates three times greater than trees planted under traditional conditions. The pavement successfully reduced stormwater runoff, lowered surface temperatures, and improved moisture retention in the surrounding soil.
The project also set a new benchmark for sustainable urban design in constrained city spaces, showcasing how recycled materials can be repurposed into functional, high-performance infrastructure. Over the next two years, The University of Melbourne will monitor the pavement’s mechanical performance, tree growth, and long-term maintenance needs, providing critical data to refine and expand the use of permeable pavement solutions in urban environments.
