China is a country facing severe water scarcity. When measured by the per capita water resource possession rate, China only accounts for one-fourth of the world average. Water shortages are widespread in our country, with a tendency to worsen, affecting many cities across the nation to varying degrees, with over 110 cities experiencing severe water shortages. The characteristics of China's water resources include uneven regional distribution, unbalanced combination of water and soil resources; concentrated distribution throughout the year with significant interannual variability; alternating years of abundant and deficient rainfall are particularly prominent; and severe sedimentation in rivers. These characteristics result in a significant imbalance between water supply and demand, and dictate the arduous task of exploiting and utilizing water resources in China. The research and promotion of permeable bricks are of great significance in conserving precious water resources and alleviating the water supply-demand矛盾. However, issues such as a 1/3 reduction in permeability after one year of use on road surfaces have been a bottleneck hindering the promotion and application of permeable bricks.

Today, a signed article by Professor-level Engineer Yang Bin, a researcher in the field of industrial technology supervision and research of waterproof materials and construction materials in China, was published in a Chinese newspaper. The article scientifically analyzes the issues encountered in the promotion and application of permeable bricks by examining the raw materials, laying materials, and usage environment. It discusses corresponding solutions, hoping to promote the improvement of product performance and wider application of permeable bricks.

Constructing a resource-saving and environmentally friendly society, conserving water resources has naturally become a hot topic of concern for the entire society in a country with over 400 cities facing water scarcity. Rainwater recycling has consequently been brought to the forefront of the agenda. Permeable bricks have emerged as the new favorite for ground materials.

At the exhibition, staff poured water onto the surface of the permeable bricks, and instantly, the water渗漏 out from the bottom surface through the thickness of the bricks, capturing the audience's attention with its permeable function. However, this is the "performance" of the permeable bricks at the exhibition or in the lab, using pure water, distilled water without air, or tap water. If the permeable bricks are laid on roads or squares, the actual environmental conditions used are much more complex than those in the display booth or lab. What if rainwater, mud, or sludge are splashed onto the surface of the bricks? Maybe they will permeate today, but after one month, three months, six months, or a year, will they still permeate? This question may not have been considered by many people.

The author does not deny that permeable bricks are a type of ground material with permeability. Such products do exist abroad, but their usage is not widespread. Domestic companies that have independently researched and produced this product have done considerable work and achieved certain successes, providing a new path for laying permeable pavements. However, science is about "seeking truth from facts," and we cannot sidestep the inevitable issues that will arise in the process of promoting and using permeable bricks, such as severe environmental conditions that may制约 their permeability function, potentially leading to the complete loss of the bricks' permeable capabilities.

Historical experience is a mirror.

Glass microspheres are an excellent reflective material for road surfaces, commonly used in foreign countries for road and highway signage as well as runway markings at airports. Their reflective nature guides and navigates during nighttime driving and aircraft take-offs and landings, as well as when lights from aircraft shine upon them. In the 1980s and 1990s, China also developed this new reflective material, which initially performed well. However, over time, the reflective quality of glass microspheres deteriorated significantly, rendering them unusable. The root cause lies in the poor usage environment. Most regions in China have high levels of airborne dust and particulate matter, with yellow dust on roads, compounded by insufficient or non-existent cleaning measures for roads and airport runways. Dust and mud from rainy and snowy days cover the glass microspheres used as road signage, which are not cleaned in a timely manner, leading to dust accumulation and ultimately, the loss of their reflective function.