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The location
Here's the original thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/woahdude/comments/3l1ga9/this_concrete_lets_water_pass_through_it/
And here it is, the Next & Costa and most importantly, the car park!
This is in the United Kingdom, in High Wycombe, for all those asking.
The car park surface.
It looks less like concrete and more like tarmac/asphalt
Close up of surface.
You can see the small particles that it's made of and how the water can get through.
Water.
5 litres of water. That's just over 1 gallon for you heathens that still use imperial.
The money shot!
Me pouring the water onto the pavement.
After the water.
Looks the same, it doesn't even look wet.
Close up after.
I don't know if you can see it, but it's a bit wet, but there's no water standing on it.
IrrelevantOpinions
This concretes my opinion about the other OP.
snoopdeeohdoubleg
Neat.
WhaIeOilBeefHooked
This is how it feels when I get a paycheck. Bank account is a "bit wet, but there's no water standing on it" so to speak.
Iamdarkwingduck
Looks like a giant grey rice krispie treat
missladymondegreen
high fiber. well, since it's in the UK, *fibre.
jimieratchet
The last picture looks like giant grey Rice Krispies Treat
TheRedWunder
This breaks down really quick too. The lots essentially become loose gravel after a few years.
bachterman
but only on continental weather conditions.
spudcosmic
[citation needed]
SpoopyScarySkeleton
A gif would've been better
pedunculated
Love seeing all the local imgurians get excited about Wycombe!
demonjester1515
Doesn't look very durable though.
Scarfaceaz
Was this something that needed to be proven? Like a horrible episode of Myth Busters.
innocentmofo
its just a classic non expensive ground material
morewitches
It's...basically just rocks, right? Rocks stuck together?
lud1
let that sink in
Wijet
Woo Wycombe
GonzoN
Hey I went to that costa today, I'm practically famous.
TheMightyWitcher
I LIVE IN HIGH WYCOMBE!! I FEEL RELEVANT FOR THE FIRST TIME!
JubblyTropical
I feel the same way right now!
TheKyle
Next time send that 5L of water to California
JubblyTropical
I work in the other high Wycombe next store and I had no idea the car park did this!!!
Mikesane
Oil leaks? Gasoline leaks? Antifreeze leaks? What's catching that shit underneath?
Earlkay
Fix your car, seriously that's not normal on a trip to next.
ifyouarereadingthisbuymeataco
Nothing unless it manages to get filtered out in the underneath layers. Otherwise, it will contaminate the storm water supply or wherever
valkyire123
How does this hold up to freeze thaw action in cold climates?
Challengedcommunity
Ahh I live in high Wycombe! Thought I recognised this place!!
MadamLadyBoner
I am always comforted when someone goes out and actually tests these things. +1 for follow up
Canyoudothetantan
As a Californian in a drought, your "money shot" was like watching someone run over a dog
sonicpet
*pours water onto wound*
KierCalhen
This would never work in Canada. That would be ruined after the first frost
SlickerThanNick
no it wouldnt. it performs just as well as normal asphalt/concrete in cold weather.
monsterhunter4lyfe
"The crazy fucker is out watering the parking lot again."
sangatster
Spongestone
NoBigGovDuh
I wonder how many people stop by to poor water into their parking lot now.
Panda12
Depends on how poor the area is
complainasaurusbex
Carpark* :-P
teratrain
came here to post this. keep fighting the good fight.
thedoughnutsayshello
That actually made me laugh out loud. And I mean LOUD. Thank you for the positive feelings.
0xFFF1
"well duh. We need it to sprout nice and healthy so its pavement seeds can spread and overtake nearby lots, and eventually the world!"
EknobFelix
They call it the Creep, I hear.
DH11
Chia seeds would make that parking lot hilarious.
TheGhostMinx
*Cue evil laughter and lightning*
KhajiitHasDoneNothing
They're pinky pinky and the brain brain brain brain brain
BlueDrache
/r/pavetheplanet
DuttyWineing
Omg someone else from High Wycombe
JubblyTropical
Hello fellow Wycombe lad
TufGnarl
Any idea how this holds up to freezing and thawing?
FourFiveFire
My thoughts as well. One real winter and it's done.
bubbetybubbety
And I'm just over here in California, weeping and trying to catch my tears in a cistern. Carry on.
MIIIKESAD
It was misty/raining in sf the other day. It was wonderful.
jayneebutidontgotagun
seriously, as a fellow Californian, can people just STOP FUCKING WASTING WATER?!?!?!
BANONE77
Do not, my friends, become addicted to water. It will take hold of you, and you will resent it's absense!
Tea4One
I'd try to make a counter reference, but I do not recall any from that movie that could support yours. +1 anyways
KidShenck
+1 for cistern
Cal1te
I was putting sandbags down last month to stop rainwater invading my apartment.
DeadyBearr
Uhm, you can't collect water... It's illegal.
yabisaurusrex
lol i just said this under another comment, how collecting rainwater is illegal. i guess one person at least didn't believe you.
DeadyBearr
Or got mad. I was also playing along.
mosicakes
its only illegal in certain states, not all of them. apparently some states "own" whatever rain falls over it.
DeadyBearr
Sorry I just read up on it. 2012 there was an act stating it was okay to collect rainwater in C.A. I grew up with it not being legal.
blackrider39
Is it really illegal for you guys to collect rain water? That sounds like some Mad Max shit right there. Whats the logic behind that?
DeadyBearr
Water flows down hill and if everyone on the hill collects water then the reservoir at the bottom gets nothing. Or something.
blackrider39
Damn man, thats brutal. Is it like something they actually enforce? Or more like you just get dirty looks from your neighbors?
DeadyBearr
Dude up in Oregon got 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine. But it's not like it rains that often here (people do it anyway because fuck that)
LezgoNecro
This is a lot to absorb.
funkjacket
okay fuck you +1
JupiterJedi
A lot of concrete evidence.
koopaya
After it sank in I realized you were being clever.
WilhelmvonSchlapphand
Water y'all talking about?
BlueDrache
They're just being wet ends.
Dangerjim
I have mixed feelings laughing at this
IReallyHaveNoIdeaWhatMyUsernameShouldBe
Like your mom's tampons
JumpingBalogna
God damn. Savage! Lol!
gewalt
I recognize your pun, but still feel its necessary to point out that the concrete is not absorbing, but merely not blocking the water. sorry
thismomentofjune
The concrete itself may not be absorbing it, but the ground is. I.e. the water is being absorbed into the spaces between the concrete.
buhhwheat
shamWow, thanks for pointing that out.
Dispari
I can't wait to hear from all the Internet experts again on why this concrete will never work.
TallDude
Yeah. Everyone is an expert, and thinks they are smarter than the next person. Not me. I KNOW I'm smarter than the next person.
tinyneko3
Well for starters its asphalt. Use this knowledge to ignore them with greater ease.
SlickerThanNick
I'm cringing, reading the internet "experts" talk about this. as a stormwater engineer, i really wish they would just do a google search 1st
twentysomething
How rich would o need to be to out a green roof on my house?
tinyneko3
I haven't actually seen a single comment that got how it works correct. I also wish they would just google it.
Babum
So where does the water go? I could see a potential problem
SlickerThanNick
through several layers of materials and eventually carried out through drains that are below the frost depth
Babum
That's pretty clever!
SlickerThanNick
we engineers like to think we are!
Babum
HAHA as a law student, I am almost tempted to downvote you for that
SlickerThanNick
I'm all about things moving in a downward trajectory. water flows downhill! 7yrs of college to learn that. STERMWERTER!
arsetechnica
Just imagine trying to clean up an oil or gas leak on that...
EverlastingM
You clean up oil and gas leaks? In Merica we usually just leave all that in the parking lot until it goes away...
Snownel
I'm wondering what happens in freezing temperatures and suddenly the whole lot shatters because it's full of ice throughout.
arsetechnica
Frost heaving I'd guess? Or they just use it in places that it doesn't get cold?
twentysomething
Unless the water table is really close to the surface, you can usually use this in cold climates without issue.
RisingPhoenix92
http://stormwater.wef.org/2012/01/porous-pavement-performance-in-cold-climates/
arsetechnica
Cool! Surprising too. I'd have thought it would just disintegrate like most roads do when they get water in them.
JM2DC
Thank you for this. Now I just hope people read it.
ghsdkgb
it's not like the water just STAYS there...
Domehammer
If it rains enough to pool on parking lot to make this viable then it rains enough to saturate ground and eventually explode one winter.
arsetechnica
It will once the ground below freezes.
whoisRH
Any moisture on the surface or the soil under it would freeze, thus expanding its volume by about 9%
ghsdkgb
Drainage
Dumpstermouth
What happens when that floods or breaks? yep still the same issue. it's a dumb design period.