LIFE CERSUDS. Sistema Cerámico de Drenaje Urbano Sostenible

The proposal presented addresses the problem of water and soil sealing in the city, through the development of a Sustainable Urban Drainage System that uses low commercial value ceramic as a recycled permeable paving material. The initiative is carried out within the framework of the European Union's LIFE programme (LIFE15CCA/ES/000091). Its specific objective is dedicated to adaptation to climate change, providing a sustainable urbanization solution applicable both in the area of public space design and in Green Infrastructures on an urban and territorial scale.

The LIFE CERSUDS was born from connecting two problems that are usually analyzed separately: the need for sustainable management of urban rainwater runoff and the recycling of waste and industrial by-products through circular economy processes. In this case, an integrated solution to both problems is sought, where the mission of the SUDS is the restitution of the natural hydrological cycle of the place before the waterproofing produced by the urbanization processes. Therefore, the proposed permeable ceramic paving system is based on a low-tech material recycling process that makes it easily replicable, one of the objectives set as a priority. The solution provides an outlet for these hard-to-market products, generates new jobs and reduces the CO2 emissions associated with the production of urban paving.

The multi-disciplinary process of design, prototyping and testing involved several institutions: the Institute of Ceramic Technology, the Valencia Ceramic Tile Studies Department, the University Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering Research of the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, the City Council of Benicàssim and the company Trencadis de Sempre. Following this process, a demonstrator was built in the town of Benicàssim. The intervention addressed the redevelopment of Torre Sant Vicent Street, one of the most historical streets in the town.

A project that responds to all these objectives is organized around the operation of rain gardens that manage rainwater and pedestrian sidewalks that work as areas of infiltration for its storage.