Water- and air-permeable semi-paving meeting German standards

Onno Berens, owner of Maccrox, pleads for an official standardization of bonded pavements within the Benelux. "Currently there isn't one which allows the use of therefore meaningless terms like 'sustainable', 'eco' and 'permeable'. Given the shortage of drinking water and the extremely dry and wet periods, which we are increasingly facing, it is precisely now so important that we apply good semi-paving wherever possible."

Maccrox is the official representative of HanseGrand in the Benelux and together with partner BNR Bouwstoffen from Werkendam, they produce this high-quality hall pavement in Dordrecht.

"Proper drainage is important for our soil, but also for everyone's wallet. When sewers and treatment plants can no longer cope, it definitely leads to additional costs and therefore to price increases," Berens continued. "Of course, I don't know how competing companies put together their products, and I don't want to haggle about that, but I do know that there are semi-paved surfaces that are just as impervious as asphalt or concrete. And that labels like "organic" or "environmentally friendly" are essentially hollow concepts. Hence my support for official standards."

The composition of HanseGrand is based on the German DIN 18035-5 and FLL standards. These determine the grain distribution of semi-paved surfaces and therefore, in combination with the shape and strength of the crushed stone aggregate, the stability and permeability. "In addition, the incorporation of the product is very decisive. If this is not in order, you actually still have a worthless product. This applies just as much to our semi-paving, we are open about it. In addition to giving advice in the preliminary stage, we also try to be present at the first delivery to go over the instructions. That doesn't work in every case, I must admit, but in about eighty percent of cases we are on site both before, during and after the processing."

In addition to a standard for semi-paving, Berens also advocates that architects, municipalities, contractors and individuals think carefully about each square meter of land. Do you seal it with tiles, asphalt or concrete or leave it open so that water can enter the ground? "With the current problems, proper infiltration and storage of rainwater is becoming increasingly important. We are still a bit behind in this. In Belgium, where every drop counts, it is already mandatory when building a new home to also install a rainwater tank of 5,000 to 10,000 liters. This gray water is then used for applications that do not require drinking water quality, such as toilet flushing, washing machine and garden."

An honest story and transparent communication are important to them at Maccrox. But although Berens prefers to avoid terms like "environmentally friendly" and "sustainable" because of their unprotected nature, HanseGrand is indeed a responsible choice, even in those areas. The blends consist entirely of 100% natural raw materials with a low carbon footprint. In the beginning, the finer material was still a residual product from quarries, but soon discovered its commercial value. In addition to different grain sizes, HanseGrand top layers are currently available in five different colors. In Germany the products have been very popular for decades, and since 2010 there has been increasing interest from the Benelux countries. Berens has received very enthusiastic reactions from many clients, including municipalities such as Antwerp, Luxembourg and Nissewaard.