Resin bound is now a mainstream specification for schools, care homes, hotels, retail parks, business parks and public realm. It gives specifiers a seamless, permeable, DDA-friendly finish that outperforms tarmac and block paving on both appearance and lifecycle cost. This is what to consider at design stage.
Depth and aggregate
Residential surfaces are laid at 15–18mm. Commercial vehicular surfaces are typically 18–24mm depending on axle load, with a 6/2 or 6/3 aggregate blend. Pedestrian and public realm areas can be laid at 12–15mm with finer aggregate for a smoother tread. Every Resi-Tech commercial specification names the depth and blend against the trafficking requirement.
DDA / Equality Act compliance
A trowelled resin bound surface is flat, seamless and slip-resistant — a strong DDA fit. Where wheelchair and pram traffic is a priority, we recommend a smaller aggregate size (2–5mm) and a smooth-trowel finish. Tactile paving inserts can be trimmed directly into the resin field without additional edging.
SuDS and drainage strategy
Resin bound over a permeable Type 3 sub-base achieves SuDS Manual compliance for source-control paving. Where a full permeable build-up is not possible (existing slabs, basements below), the surface can be laid to falls into channel drains or landscape swales — we work with your civil engineer on the drainage strategy at design stage.
Phasing and access
Commercial sites rarely close. Resin bound lays in continuous panels, so a car park can be phased quadrant by quadrant with next-day trafficability between phases. Warm-weather nightworks are also possible where daytime shutdowns are not.
Lifecycle cost
Over 20 years, resin bound typically shows a 15–25% lower total cost of ownership than tarmac on a commercial site once resurfacing, line-marking refresh and utility repair are included. Add the SuDS credit and the improved public appearance, and the case for resin bound at design stage is usually straightforward.
Working with Resi-Tech on commercial projects
We work directly with architects, main contractors and facilities teams from concept through to handover, providing NBS-format specifications, RAMS, resin batch data and O&M documentation for every project. Get in touch to discuss your scheme.
