the sustainability of Amsterdams paving

amsterdam canels 

paving examples alongside the cannals 

central Amsterdam paving. scallop paving pattern. 

Spending a weekend here during summer was incredible. The night life, canals, architecture, street life was all so fascinating, and created a fantastic atmosphere during the day and night. 

After having a lecture on paving Amsterdam came into conversation about being some of the most sustainable ways to pave their streets. 

in aims to reduce one of the highest CO2 emmissions beings the cement and concrete industry, they have resulted to re using the pavers. 

This is done when roads have sunk due to the predominently sand beds, the pavers are extraxcted, cleaned and  re used. This has saved the production of new pavers as well as the CO2 in transportiung new pavers every time for a replacement. 

"Preliminary calculations suggest that such a re-use scenario yields 80% CO2 reduction" (Circular Paving in Amsterdam: reusing pavement tiles, 2022) This is a massive accomplisment to jusr re use existing concrete pavers, helping the cities goals of cutting there CO2 emmissions by 50% in 2030. 

This image by 

Fons Heijnsbroek shows the reconstruction of the road and the sand base which iis often the cause of movement in the ground and leads to the movenment and cracking of pavers which have to be replaced. 

Read more in the link: AMS Institute - Circular paving (ams-institute.org)