Natural pavements are a second skin for the ground : they live perfectly integrated into the environment and, at the same time, are highly functional for human activities, even simple recreation. And this is a very current combination, dear to the greatest designers of the contemporary era. The famous architect Italo Rota, for example, declared in an interview that " blurring the boundaries between the natural and artificial worlds is one of the main challenges of contemporary architecture ." And natural pavements seem to respond precisely to this challenge , as they, by contact with the topsoil , do not alter it at all . Let's delve deeper into the topic and understand why, in terms of infrastructure, an ecological road is, in most cases, preferable to traditional asphalt.
Natural flooring: perfect contact with the topsoil
Natural paving has many characteristics , and each of these integrates perfectly with the environment in which it is created, be it a natural path, a driveway, or a street in a village with protected landscape restrictions. Let's start with the environmental impact aspect.
Natural floors are draining
Contact with the topsoil is assured, especially in terms of hydraulic stability . Let's explain: a natural pavement is permeable and draining . This means that the materials it is made of allow water to infiltrate naturally into the soil, preventing runoff but, rather, encouraging the dispersion of excess water. This helps, even in an urban context, combat the phenomenon of flooding, so frequent in our cities covered in concrete and non-permeable asphalt.
Natural floors have a low environmental impact
The environmental impact of natural pavements is very low: in contact with topsoil, stabilized quarry material is typically used , a 100% natural aggregate that can also be recovered on site (i.e., at the site where it is being worked), thus reducing transportation costs (and emissions). In addition to the search for locally sourced materials, once processed, the material will not release polluting particles into the soil when rainwater seeps through it. Groundwater will be protected.
Natural floors are 100% recyclable
In addition to being natural, this particular type of pavement is completely recyclable . Being made from natural materials, once decommissioned—unlike asphalt—it does not need to be disposed of as hazardous waste but can be given a new lease of life as recycled stabilized concrete. This is an excellent example of a circular economy that, in the near future, should become the rule (and not the exception) in the production of man-made goods and infrastructure, in every field and sector.
Stabilized earth in contact with topsoil: a perfect combination
Research into materials and technological innovation have enabled us to find high-tech solutions to problems as old as humanity itself, such as navigating a road safely, even within a natural context.
Terra Solida , Italy's leading provider of sustainable paving , has developed stabilized earth , perfect for creating a variety of surfaces, both pedestrian and vehicular. The judicious use of stabilized materials and eco-friendly binders has allowed for the creation of long-lasting roads and pavements, characterized by high permeability and the protection of the underlying soil. Perfect for both natural and urban settings (think parking lots, sidewalks, bike paths, and so on), natural pavements allow the soil to breathe , bringing nature back into the city.
In short, there are many reasons why natural flooring is so suitable for topsoil : each of them should convince us that, if the eco-friendly option is just as valid as the option with a greater environmental impact, it would be truly foolish not to rely on sustainability.
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