Short Memo: Aspects & Impacts of Porous Pavements The purpose of this short memo is to discuss aspects of use, applicability, and environmental impacts of porous pavements as gleaned from practical findings and pertinent examples. A porous pavement is one with high enough porosity and permeability to allow rain and snowmelt to pass through it, thereby reducing the runoff from a site and surrounding areas. In intensely built up areas, pavements account for more than half of all the land, and for about two-thirds of total built cover (Ferguson, 2005, 2-3). Parking lots, in particular, account for the majority of paved areas. Pervious paving materials have the capability of providing a dual purpose in parking and other areas with low to …show more content…
1999). This base serves as a reservoir for stormwater runoff where water is allowed to infiltrate to underlying permeable soils or is redirected through an overflow drain system. Filter fabric is placed beneath the aggregate subgrade to prevent fine particles from moving into the soil bed. Essentially, “porous pavement infiltrates and treats rainwater where it falls” (Ferguson, 2005, 10). The pore space and aggregate base act as rainwater retention, reducing runoff during storm events. Further, particles and pollutants are removed from the water flow through the filtration process, with the underlying soils acting as a second filter treatment area and as a water recharge basin. Use & Applicability Porous pavements are particularly functional as low-volume traffic surfaces and parking areas and have been used for over thirty years. Early installations continue to function as both parking lots and stormwater management systems. Cahill Associates (CA) designed one of the first large-scale porous parking lots for an office park in a Philadelphia suburb. The design consists of porous asphalt parking bays terraced down a hillside and connected by conventional traffic lanes. The site is over 20 years old, has not needed repaving, and has staved off sinkholes in an area prone to them. CA attributes this to even distribution of stormwater through infiltration and particularly to the aggregate reservoir below the surface. Through other projects, CA has found that
When this occurs, water from the wetland buildup can seep into the ground and be stored as ground for aquifers.
We know that paving a parking lot or driveway can be a huge disruption to your business. We pride ourselves in planning well in order to get in and get it done as fast as possible. So if your business has a parking lot or driveway that is cracked or littered with potholes, give Lexington SC Paving Company a
To provide the client with the needed information regarding the material used on site, several tests were ran to determine if the roadbed material meets all of the requirements as stated in the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) 2016 Standard Specifications, Part 3, Section 301 and 305. The material has been identified as a ¾” dense graded crushed stone base aggregate. The sampling, aggregate properties, specific gravity, and sieve analysis were completed according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards.
In recent years, the City of Orem’s storm drains have occasionally become filled during periods of heavy rainfall. The filling of the storm drains has backed up water to such an extent that homes, particularly those in low-lying areas, become flooded, causing substantial damage to basements and the foundation of the homes. In a prior interview with Orem City’s Storm Water Field Supervisor, Rick Sabey, he responded that these irregular downpours overfill our city’s sumps1. Mr. Sabey feels that no city creates and designs their storm drain system based on something that rarely happens. “Most cities model [storm drains] after 10-year storms3.” In 2013, the City of Orem began designing precautions to better improve the
The storm water is collected in the storm water drains and later used for irrigation, public toilets or put into wetlands i.e. Port Road, Mawson lakes and Cheltenham saint Clair.
With a high quality of life, a thriving economy, opportunities for outdoor activities and an impressive rate of growth, residents of Cedar Park have much to enjoy. The town's population increased from fewer than 5,300 people in 1990 to more than 26,000 in people in 2000 and almost 49,000 in 2010. The estimated population in 2016 was over 70,000 people. With such rapid increases in population, the officials of Cedar Park opted for asphalt pavement on many of their local streets, realizing that asphalt pavement was fast and economical to install and repair. Many businesses followed suit, choosing asphalt pavement for their parking lots and private roads. For more than 30 years, Alpha Paving has been assisting customers in Cedar Park with the
Over the last 40 years, Pflugerville has experienced remarkable growth. In 1970, fewer than 550 people lived in the town; by 2015, the estimated population had risen to more than 57,000. The rapid growth left the city, county, businesses and residential property owners scrambling to build paved surfaces to support the burgeoning population. Today, the area contains a mixture of new pavements that need preventive maintenance and aging pavements that need rejuvenation or replacement. Regardless of whether the pavement is aging concrete or new asphalt, Alpha Paving offers a full range of services to help Pflugerville residents with their pavement-related needs. Service offerings include asphalt overlays and paving, concrete sidewalks, pavement repairs, parking lot
Rain normally drains into the soil where it is naturally filtered as it works its way into the groundwater supply. Roads, driveways, and parking lots disrupt this process by covering the surface of the soil. Gravel is ideal for allowing rainwater to soak into the ground, but it is not a good surface for a commercial parking lot. Porous asphalt is the best solution since it has an attractive appearance, allows for water drainage, and has a surface that can be marked with parking spaces.
In my neighborhood, the roads are absolutely wretched, having been neglected for what seems like years; I’ve chosen this topic because the roads in a neighborhood are very important to its overall appearance, as well as safety, especially during the winter months.
It took me awhile to decide what I would choose as my topic for this essay. I thought it would be easy to choose and start writing but I was wrong. I ended up choosing asphalt because it is a material that is used by mankind a lot. It is a part of every body’s daily life. It is what our car drives on when we go to work or school or when we run errands. It could be a part of our roofs that we live under. It is used in multiple ways.
Not only can it make it easier for potential customers to navigate to the front door of your business, but also it can reduce the risk of vehicle damage often caused by cracks or chunks of asphalt laying on the ground. Potholes are another danger that can potentially lead to costly repairs or even lawsuits. That is why, at Young’s Brothers Paving, we take our job seriously. We understand the liabilities involved, and we are committed to helping you create a safe and aesthetically pleasing parking area for your customers.
There are also things caused by asphalt that will affect us long term. The production of asphalt releases 1.6 million tons of carbon into the air every year. In order to take that amount of carbon out of the air, it would take 1,311,475 acres of forests, which is more than double the size of Rhode Island. If we’re going to attack climate change, and help recover the environmental damage we’ve treated Earth with over the years, we have to do take substantial steps, that may change the way our society
Asphalt is a remarkably durable pavement, but it is susceptible to damage from a variety of things. The sun's rays can dry out asphalt and make it brittle. Oil and other petroleum-based automotive fluids will destroy the binding agents when they try to recombine with the asphalt. Whether from rain or melting snow and ice, water will attempt to infiltrate beneath the pavement through any crack or other break; once infiltration occurs, water can
Selection of materials used for paving should be done carefully and patiently keeping in mind its appearance as well as durability. A wide variety of materials used for paving is available in the market ranging from stone, clay bricks and tiles to pre cast concrete blocks. Paving should be laid in a sloping manner so that water drains out. There should be no gaps in the paving, in order to prevent weeds or grass from growing in between. Professional landscaping and paving services create a strong foundation, so that the paving does not fall out.
If you have not hired a paving company to come out and sealcoat your parking lot in a few years, you are really missing out on an opportunity to protect your asphalt surface and make it look great. Really, your asphalt parking lot should be sealcoated every few years, but the frequency does vary a bit based on things like the age of your parking lot, its appearance, whether or not it used heavily and the weather conditions in your area. These are a few signs that you should have your parking lot sealcoated sometime soon, although your best bet is to talk to a paving contractor to determine if it's a smart choice for your asphalt.