The Summer of PICP

Summer has finally arrived. As if automatically signaled by the change of weather, our thoughts seem to involuntarily turn to the outdoors. We look forward to vacations, baseball games, picnics, weekends at the lake, gardening and neighborhood barbeques. We get introduced to our neighbors once again, chatting over the backyard fence while flipping burgers on the grill and impressing each other with ideas on how to keep lawns green and time-tested keys to successful childrearing. Maybe we boldly add our solution to the latest political controversy. However, since my neighbors’ yards are in much better shape than mine, and their children are so polite and well-behaved, it’s not easy for me to find a subject that I can use to really wow them.

Here’s one that I’m going to try this weekend, low impact development and permeable interlocking concrete pavement! Initially, that may sound a little too technical for a casual conversation, but I plan to add intrigue by using only the acronyms, LID and PICP. There’s nothing like a strategically placed acronym in casual conversation to hint at one’s superior understanding and intellect.

While watering the flower bed, I’ll casually start out something like this:

“Say, neighbor! What do you think about using PICP as a key component of an effective LID strategy?”

With an opening line like that, my neighbor would be speechless. I may give him additional hints of my keen insight into the subject by adding:

“Of course you know that PICP’s can help manage stormwater runoff by allowing direct infiltration, and they can work with other LID tools like rain gardens and bio-swales to minimize post-development impact.”

He’d really get envious with this:

“Yeah, I’ve actually been thinking of adding a PICP patio instead of just creating more impervious surface that will add to stormwater runoff. Besides, studies show that PICP systems can actually help improve water quality, too!”

Since he’s still speechless, I go for the home-run:

“My PICP patio will use Mutual Materials’ new Eco-Priora 4 x 8 and 8 x 8 permeable interlocking concrete pavers (oops, should have said PICP’s again) in a random pattern that will drain over 100 inches per hour of stormwater runoff, not that we’d ever need that much capacity. The smaller 3/8” joint spacing makes Eco-Priora the perfect paver for walking surfaces like plazas and patios, and the patented structural spacer system allows them to be successfully used in parking lots and even streets. And, the lighter natural gray cement color can give my patio a LEED point, too”

LEED, that’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the USGBC (United States Green Building Council). I can see the impressed look on my neighbor’s face already. There’s nothing like well-placed acronyms in casual conversation.



For more information on LID, go to:
http://www.lowimpactdevelopment.org/

For more information on Mutual Materials’ Eco-Priora PICP, go to: http://www.mutualmaterials.com/Professional_product.asp?pt_id=126&p_id=363


Sincerely,

Rick Crooks
Director of Business Development