Porous Pavement: Research, Development, and Demonstration

This paper discusses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's porous pavement research program along with the economies, advantages, potential applications, and status and future research needs of porous pavements. Porous pavements are an available stormwater management technique which can be used on parking lots and low volume roadways to reduce both stormwater runoff volume and pollution. In addition, groundwater recharge is enhanced. Also, cost reductions result due to elimination of curbs, drains, and small sized storm sewers. Porous asphalt pavements consist of a relatively thin course of open graded asphalt mix over a deep base of large size crushed stones. Water can be stored in the crushed stone base until it can percolate into the subbase or drain laterally. Other porous pavement types include concrete lattice blocks and a porous concrete mix.