Permeable pavements typically consist of pervious concrete, porous asphalt, permeable interlocking concrete paving units or grid type systems over an open-graded base/subbase layer(s). Permeable pavements infiltrate stormwater, reduce peak flows, filter and clean contaminants and promote groundwater recharge. They have gained substantial popularity in North America and have become an integral part of low impact design and best management practices for stormwater management. In order to be effective, permeable pavement must be designed to provide sufficient structural capacity to accommodate the anticipated vehicle loadings, manage stormwater flowing into the surface and soil subgrade, as well water draining out of the base/subbase.
While there are many well-designed and constructed permeable pavements, they are a relatively new technology with some projects performing below design expectations. This paper describes some essential best practices for permeable pavement design and construction, and focuses on lessons learned from case studies of permeable pavement construction in North America. Included are driveways, parking areas, roadways, roadways shoulders, walkways and unusual uses of permeable pavements subjected to heavy loadings including buses and even military tanks.
