IBRAN Limited

The ChallengeThe overflow valet car park at East Midlands Airport presented a combination of drainage and surface stability challenges that ruled out conventional hard surfacing. The site occupies low-lying ground directly adjacent to the runway and receives significant runoff from the runway surface above, making water management a critical design consideration. The area required a permeable surface capable of handling regular vehicle movements from the valet operation, using reclaimed chippings from a concurrent runway resurfacing programme as the infill material.The SolutionTH Heath Contracts selected IBRAN-X to stabilise the surface, recognising that the grid system would contain and lock the irregular reclaimed chippings in place while providing the permeability needed to manage the considerable water ingress from the adjacent runway. The sub-base was stripped and replaced to specification, a geotextile membrane was installed to separate the formation from the aggregate layer, and 5,000 IBRAN-X units were assembled across the site over the course of a single week. Direct delivery from IBRAN's Leicester manufacturing facility to the Leicestershire site minimised lead time and logistics complexity.The OutcomeThe completed surface manages the runway runoff effectively, with the IBRAN-X void structure providing the infiltration capacity required to prevent surface water accumulation on a site that had previously been prone to waterlogging. The reclaimed runway chippings, locked within the grid cells, provide a robust and cost-effective surface that would otherwise have been difficult to stabilise. The one-week installation across 1,250 m² demonstrated the speed advantage of the IBRAN-X grid system over conventional paving alternatives.

The ChallengeMars Petcare's conversion of a legacy industrial site on the Hardwick Industrial Estate in King's Lynn into a new production facility required a substantial staff car parking area as part of the development. The specification called for a permeable gravel surface capable of handling regular vehicular traffic from staff and deliveries, while meeting the site's sustainable drainage requirements. The contractor was required to use gravel and grids and went out to tender on that basis.The SolutionThe contractor specified IBRAN-X gravel stabilisation grids throughout the car parking area, selecting IBRAN-X on the strength of its load rating, void ratio and UK manufacturing credentials. The installation was completed across two phases, with 14,000 units covering 3,500 m² of parking surface. The grids were supplied direct from IBRAN's UK manufacturing facility, avoiding intermediate distribution and ensuring consistent product quality across both phases. The gravel-filled IBRAN-X surface provided a fully permeable finish compliant with sustainable urban drainage principles.The OutcomeThe completed car park delivers a stable, load-bearing permeable surface that meets the site's drainage specification and provides Mars Petcare with a durable long-term solution for staff parking at the new production facility. The contractor's decision to tender using IBRAN-X was vindicated by the straightforward installation process and the quality of the finished surface across both phases.