Kiacrete – a high strength permeable concrete pavement 
Imperial College London & Attlebridge Concrete Products 

Imperial College London permeable concrete pavement breakthrough moves toward commercial deployment with Attlebridge Concrete 

The growing cost of flooding – and the need for better materials 

Flooding is rapidly becoming one of the most expensive infrastructure challenges facing modern cities. 

Across the UK, more than 5.2 million properties are currently at risk of flooding, according to the Environment Agency. With climate change increasing the frequency of extreme rainfall events, this number is expected to rise significantly in the coming decades. 

The financial impact is already substantial. Major flooding events have caused billions of pounds in damage across the UK: 

• £1.6 billion – estimated total damage from the UK winter floods of 2015–2016 

• £333 million – damage caused by Storm Desmond flooding in northern England in 2015 

• £2.2 billion per year – projected annual flood damage costs in the UK by the 2050s if mitigation measures are not expanded 

Globally, the economic impact is even more dramatic. The World Bank estimates that annual flood damage could exceed $1 trillion worldwide by 2050 as urbanisation and climate pressures intensify. 

One of the key drivers of surface water flooding in urban environments is the rapid growth of impermeable surfaces. Traditional construction materials such as asphalt and dense concrete prevent water from infiltrating into the ground, forcing rainfall into drainage systems that are often unable to cope with peak flows. 

This is why Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are becoming an increasingly important part of planning and infrastructure policy across the UK. 

Rather than directing rainwater immediately into underground pipe systems, SuDS aim to manage water closer to where it falls — slowing runoff, allowing infiltration into the ground, and reducing pressure on drainage infrastructure. 

Permeable construction materials are a key component of this approach. 

 

Where Kiacrete could make a difference 

Technologies such as Kiacrete, developed through research at Imperial College London by the Resilient Sustainable Infrastructure Group, aim to address a long-standing engineering challenge: achieving structural strength, durability and permeability in a concrete material. 

 

The Kiacrete cycleway site in Liverpool 

 

 

Permeability testing at the Kiacrete cycleway site in Liverpool 

Traditional permeable concrete solutions often compromise structural performance in order to allow water flow. Kiacrete is designed to overcome this limitation by providing a high-strength permeable cement-based material capable of supporting real-world infrastructure applications while still allowing water to pass through the structure. 

By integrating drainage performance directly into the material itself, solutions like this have the potential to support a wide range of applications including: 

• Sustainable drainage infrastructure 
• Landscape architecture and public realm projects 
• Pedestrian surfaces and pathways 

• Cycleways 
• Urban drainage and flood resilience measures 

For engineers, planners and developers, materials that combine structural performance with drainage functionality could significantly improve the way surface water is managed within built environments. 

 

A cycleway has been constructed using Kiacrete in Liverpool  

 

A cycleway has been constructed using Kiacrete in Liverpool  

 

From academic research to industry implementation 

While the technology has been developed through several years of research at Imperial College London, the next step in bringing the innovation to the market requires real-world manufacturing capability and industry expertise. 

This is where the collaboration with Attlebridge Concrete Products Ltd plays a crucial role. 

Founded more than 45 years ago in Norfolk, Attlebridge Concrete Products has built a strong reputation as a reliable manufacturer of precast concrete products serving construction and infrastructure projects across the UK. 

Since taking over the company in 2017, Simon Campbell and his father have focused on building upon the company’s manufacturing expertise while exploring new opportunities to bring innovative construction materials into the market. 

Through the collaboration with Imperial College London, Attlebridge is working to translate academic research into commercially manufactured products capable of real-world deployment. 

Simon Campbell, Director at Attlebridge Concrete Products, explains: 

“For decades permeable concrete has struggled to balance strength and drainage performance. What makes this collaboration exciting is the opportunity to take technology developed through years of research at Imperial College London and bring it into real-world construction applications. Our role is to transform that innovation into practical products that engineers and developers can use.” 

 

A Kiacrete slab cast at  Attlebridge Concrete Products  

 

Innovation in action at Futurescape 2026 

Visitors to Futurescape 2026 will have the opportunity to learn more about the Kiacrete technology and the collaboration between Imperial College London and Attlebridge Concrete Products. 

The team will be presenting the technology at their innovation pitch stand, where attendees can explore how high-strength permeable concrete could support future infrastructure projects, landscape developments and sustainable drainage initiatives. 

With increasing pressure on drainage systems and growing demand for resilient infrastructure, innovations that combine structural performance with water management are expected to play an increasingly important role in future construction. 

The collaboration between Imperial College London and Attlebridge Concrete Products demonstrates how partnerships between research institutions and industry can accelerate the transition from laboratory innovation to real-world application. 

Attlebridge Concrete Products looks forward to welcoming visitors to its stand at Futurescape and discussing how permeable concrete technology could contribute to the next generation of sustainable construction solutions. 

Developers, engineers and infrastructure professionals interested in learning more about Kiacrete and its potential applications are encouraged to visit Attlebridge Concrete Products at Futurescape 2026.