The ceramic against floods: in Spain a new type of sidewalk absorbs up to 10,000 liters of water per hour

Flooded roads, paralyzed traffic, damage to buildings and infrastructures, but also deaths: autumn 2024 has left a profound mark in the Spanish region of Valencia. The torrential rains that hit the area last October highlighted the vulnerability of the territory to extreme climatic events, increasingly frequent and intense in the Mediterranean basin. In the face of increasingly critical scenarios, engineers and local institutions are looking for alternative solutions to improve urban resilience.

One of these comes from the province of Castellónwhere theCeramic technology institute has developed Drainkeran innovative urban flooring that exploits the properties of ceramic for facilitate the drainage of rainwater. Financed in part byEuropean Union And in part by the Valencian government, the project proposes an alternative system to traditional waterproof materials such as asphalt and concrete, with the aim of reducing the impact of sudden rains in the urban area.

The principle is as simple as effective: low commercial value ceramic tiles are positioned vertically and spaced on a gravel bed, in order to create interstices that allow water to penetrate quickly into the ground. “This permeability is obtained thanks to the interstices between the tiles, which allow water perception and its filtration through a porous structure, also improving the quality of the water collected,” he explained to Euronews Ignacio Andrés Doménechdirector of the Civil Engineering School ofPolytechnic University of Valencia.

During the tests conducted on an experimental site in Castellón, the flooring showed one Absorption capacity of 10,000 liters per square meter per hour. A particularly significant result, which could translate into a drastic improvement in the management of rainwater in urban contexts.

At the basis of the initiative, there is also an economic and environmental reasoning. “The project was born from an excess of low -commercial ceramic materials, from the need to collect rainwater and reduce urban heat. We managed to combine the three needs in a single product,” he said Yolanda Reiggeneral director of the Institute of Ceramic Technology.

The project received a total funding of over 142,000 euros. 60% of the funds come from the European regional development fund, the rest from the government of the Valencian community, which has accepted the idea as part of a wider climate adaptation strategy. “Our geographical position makes us particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” he said Juan José CortésGeneral Manager of the Innovation of the Valencian government. “The drainker system offers a concrete alternative to traditional waterproof surfaces, improving drainage and reducing the risk of flooding”.

The next step is the wider scale diffusion. A first demonstration installation has already been completed to Benicàssimand in recent months, the Institute of Ceramic Technology has started contacts with architecture studies and municipal administrations interested in applying the system in real projects. “We have developed a product and a process that allow a large -scale production. Our hope is that it is integrated in urban projects at European level,” said the architect Jorge Corralesinvolved in the development of the system.

In addition to the draining capacity, the multiplayed structure contributes to Reduce the urban heat island And it improves the overall management of rainwater. The interest in this solution is also extending beyond the Spanish borders, with the possibility of replicating the model in other European areas subject to similar phenomena.