Permeable pavement technologies are an important aspect in sustainable design. Environmental
responsibility through green initiatives is being embraced in the transportation industry from grass roots community groups to federal governments. One such tool in the sustainable infrastructure design arsenal is the use of permeable pavement systems to help mitigate storm water runoff. The ability to use the large areas occupied by pavements to improve hydrology and groundwater recharge has many potential benefits.
Traditional pavement surfaces are virtually impermeable and are used in conjunction with ditches and storm drains to channelize precipitation towards storm water management facilities. Permeable
pavements provide a different approach. Rather than channelizing precipitation along the surface of the pavement, the water is allowed to infiltrate and flow through the pavement surface where it can be stored and slowly allowed to return into the local groundwater system. Permeable pavements provide runoff reduction and make a significant contribution to on-site trapping, removing and treating stormwater pollutants. National and provincial/state legislation in Canada and the U.S. and other countries regulating runoff has provided increased incentive for use of these pavements by public agencies.
This paper outlines a method to integrate hydrological and structural solutions. The hydrological analysis determines if the volume of water from rainfall events can be stored and released by the pavement structure. The structural capacity of PICP is determined using the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) 1993 structural design equations to develop the base/subbase thickness to support the design traffic.
