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Irelands First Environmentally Friendly Playground
Tobermore has helped students at a South Derry Grammar school pave the way to creating Irelands first environmentally friendly playground.
With the use of our pioneering permeable paving system, Hydropave, pupils at the Rainey Endowed School in Magherafelt have designed a unique new playground which will not only be flood proof but will also be able to purify rainwater before it enters the drainage system.
Students at Rainey Endowed playing Touch Rugby on the new Hydropave playground.
The man who helped develop the system for Tobermore, Professor John Knapton has also got involved with the project working directly with the students. Professor Knapton is a world authority on structural engineering and sustainable drainage solutions.
Tobermore’s Hydropave system collects rainfall and stores the water in a specially designed sub base before releasing it very slowly into the neighbouring drainage systems. The water will be absorbed into the playground sub base through joints in the paving bricks and any pollutants will be removed before the water is released to drains and adjoining rivers.
It is anticipated that the water will be virtually free of pollutants and could be reused for toilet flushing and sprinkler systems.
Professor Knapton is on the committee for the Paveworld conference which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in November 2009 and he has already scheduled a research paper to be presented by pupils from the Rainey school to the conference.
Top Team...L-R Tobermore's Brian Wilson, Rainey School Head Master Robert Robinson, Rainey School Head Master Robert Robinson, Rainey Head Girl Niamh Anderson and Head Boy Stephen Ferson with John Knapton, world authority on structural engineering and Sustainable Drainage Solutions.
Tobermore Concrete will sponsor the pupils giving that presentation and David Henderson Tobermore’s Managing Director, himself a former pupil of the school is delighted to be involved in the exciting project.
“We have supplied permeable paving to many projects in Ireland, England & Scotland in recent years. However this will be the first time that tests will be carried out on the volume and quality of water going through an area paved with Hydropave. The fact that it is a school playground and car park make it a particularly interesting project” stated Mr Henderson.
UTV Feature on Ireland's First Environmentally Friendly Playground
