Permeable concrete in South Australia

WSUD on Adelaide's infill blocks

South Australia has one of the country's clearest WSUD conversations, led by Water Sensitive SA, whose guidance lists permeable paving as a recognised asset. Councils across greater Adelaide apply that thinking through their development plans and stormwater requirements, and the pressure point is infill. Split a block, add a second dwelling and two driveways, and the paved area jumps while the drainage system stays exactly the same size.

That's where permeable concrete does its best work here. It holds water in the base instead of sending it to the kerb, and it can help a site sit within a hard surface or landscaped area requirement without cutting the footprint of the build.

Clay soils and a dry summer

Adelaide plains soils are largely reactive clay, and clay does not infiltrate quickly. We don't pretend otherwise. On those sites the open-graded base is designed as a detention reservoir with a controlled outlet, so the pavement still cuts peak flow and still keeps the surface free of puddles even where the subgrade takes very little. In the hills and sandier pockets, infiltration does more of the work.

The long dry summers matter for maintenance. Dust and fine sediment build up in the voids over the dry months, so a vacuum sweep before winter keeps capacity where it should be. Mature trees are the other South Australian driver. Councils are working hard to keep canopy on shrinking lots, and permeable pavement is one of the few surfaces that lets water and air reach a root zone.

SA jobs are run through our national team with crews travelling to site. Metro Adelaide is straightforward. Regional work we schedule and batch, and we'll tell you what that does to timing rather than guess.

• Driveways on subdivided and infill allotments.
• Tree protection zones around retained significant trees.

Send us the plan and the council conditions. We'll tell you what we'd build. Contact the team.