Permeable pavements

Overview

Permeable pavements, an alternative to traditional impervious pavement, allow stormwater to drain through them and into a stone reservoir where it is infiltrated into the underlying native soil or temporarily detained. They can be used for low traffic roads, parking lots, driveways, pedestrian plazas and walkways. Permeable pavement is ideal for sites with limited space for other surface stormwater BMPs. The following are some of permeable pavement types:

• Permeable interlocking concrete pavers
• Plastic or concrete grid systems
• Previous concrete; and
• Porous asphalt.

Depending on the native soils and physical constraints, the system may be designed with no underdrain for full infiltration, with an underdrain for partial infiltration, or with an impermeable liner and underdrain for a no infiltration or detention and filtration only practice (Figure ). Permeable paving allows for filtration, storage, or infiltration of runoff, and can reduce or eliminate surface stormwater flows compared to traditional impervious paving surfaces like concrete and asphalt.

Planning Considerations:

Common Concerns

Common concerns about permeable paving include the following:

• Risk of Groundwater Contamination: Most pollutants in urban runoff are well retained by infiltration practices and soils and therefore, have a low to moderate potential for groundwater contamination (Pitt et al., 1999). Chloride and sodium from de-icing salts applied to roads and parking areas during winter are not well attenuated in soil and can easily travel to shallow groundwater. Infiltration of deicing salt constituents is also known to increase the mobility of certain heavy metals in soil (e.g., lead, copper and cadmium), thereby raising the potential for elevated concentrations in underlying groundwater (Amrhein et al., 1992; Bauske and Goetz, 1993). However, very few studies that have sampled groundwater below infiltration facilities or roadside ditches receiving de-icing salt laden runoff have found concentrations of heavy metals that exceed drinking water standards (e.g., Howard and Beck, 1993; Granato et al., 1995).

To minimize risk of groundwater contamination the following management approaches are recommended (Pitt et al., 1999; TRCA, 2009b):

- stormwater infiltration practices should not receive runoff from high traffic areas where large amounts of de-icing salts are applied (e.g., busy highways), nor from pollution hot spots (e.g., source areas where land uses or activities have the potential to generate highly contaminated runoff such as vehicle fuelling, servicing or demolition areas, outdoor storage or handling areas for hazardous materials and some heavy industry sites);

- prioritize infiltration of runoff from source areas that are comparatively less contaminated such as roofs, low traffic roads and parking areas; and,

- apply sedimentation pretreatment practices (e.g., oil and grit separators) before infiltration of road or parking area runoff.

• Risk of Soil Contamination: Available evidence from monitoring studies indicates that small distributed stormwater infiltration practices do not contaminate underlying soils, even after more than 10 years of operation (TRCA, 2008).
• Winter Operation: For cold climates, well-designed mixes can meet strength, permeability, and freeze-thaw resistance requirements. In addition, experience suggests that snow melts faster on a porous surface because of rapid drainage below the snow surface. Also, a well draining surface will reduce the occurrence of black ice or frozen puddles (Cahill Associates, 1993; Roseen, 2007). Systems installed in the Greater Toronto Area have generally not suffered from heaving or slumping (TRCA, 2008b). Permeable pavement is typically designed to drain within 48 hours. If freezing should occur before the pavement structure has drained, then the large void spaces in the open graded aggregate base creates a capillary barrier to freeze-thaw. Permeable pavers have the added benefit of having enough flexibility to handle minor heaving without being damaged. Permeable pavement can be plowed, although raising the blade height 25 mm may be helpful to avoid catching pavers or scraping the rough surface of the porous pavement. Sand should not be applied for winter traction on permeable pavement as this can quickly clog the system.
• On Private Property: If permeable pavement systems are installed on private lots, property owners or managers will need to be educated on their routine maintenance needs, understand the long-term maintenance plan, and may be subject to a legally binding maintenance agreement. An incentive program such as a storm sewer user fee based on the area of impervious cover on a property that is directly connected to a storm sewer (i.e., does not first drain to a pervious area or LID practice) could be used to encourage property owners or managers to maintain existing practices.
• Clogging: Susceptibility to clogging is the main concern for permeable paving systems. The bedding layer and joint filler should consist of 2.5 mm clear stone or gravel rather than sand. Key strategies to prevent clogging are to ensure that adjacent pervious areas have adequate vegetation cover and a winter maintenance plan that does not include sanding. For concrete and asphalt designs, regular maintenance that includes vacuum-assisted street sweeping is necessary. Isolated areas of clogging can be remedied by drilling small holes in the pavement or by replacing the media between permeable pavers.
• Road Salt: Care needs to be taken when applying road salt to permeable pavement surfaces since dissolved constituents from the road salt will migrate through the bedding and into the groundwater system. A well-draining surface will reduce the occurrence of black ice or frozen puddles and requires less salt than is applied to impervious pavement (Roseen, 2007).
• Structural Stability: Adherence to design guidelines for pavement design and base courses will ensure structural stability. In most cases, the depth of aggregate material required for the stormwater storage reservoir will exceed the depth necessary for structural stability. Reinforcing grids can be installed in the bedding for applications that will be subject to very heavy loads.
• Heavy Vehicle Traffic: Permeable pavement is not typically used in locations subject to heavy loads. Some permeable pavers are designed for heavy loads and have been used in commercial port loading and storage areas.

A hard surface area (e.g., road, parking area or rooftop) that prevents or retards the infiltration of water into the soil.

An underlying bed filled with aggregate or other void-forming fill material that temporarily stores stormwater before infiltrating into the native soil or being conveyed by an underdrain pipe.

The natural ground material characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin.

An alternative practice to traditional impervious pavement, prevents the generation of runoff by allowing precipitation falling on the surface to infiltrate through the surface course into an underlying stone reservoir and, where suitable conditions exist, into the native soil.

An alternative practice to traditional impervious pavement, prevents the generation of runoff by allowing precipitation falling on the surface to infiltrate through the surface course into an underlying stone reservoir and, where suitable conditions exist, into the native soil.

A mixture of mineral aggregates bound with bituminous materials, used in the construction and maintenance of paved surfaces.

A perforated pipe used to assist the draining of soils.

The slow movement of water into or through a soil or drainage system.

Penetration of water through the ground surface.

The temporary storage of stormwater to control discharge rates, and allow for sedimentation.

The technique of removing pollutants from runoff as it infiltrates through the soil.

An alternative practice to traditional impervious pavement, prevents the generation of runoff by allowing precipitation falling on the surface to infiltrate through the surface course into an underlying stone reservoir and, where suitable conditions exist, into the native soil.

The portion of water precipitated onto a catchment area, which then flows as surface discharge from the catchment area past a specified point.

Water from rain, snow melt, or irrigation that flows over the land surface.

An alternative practice to traditional impervious pavement, prevents the generation of runoff by allowing precipitation falling on the surface to infiltrate through the surface course into an underlying stone reservoir and, where suitable conditions exist, into the native soil.

The water below the surface, and typically below the groundwater table.

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

Deposition of material of varying size, both mineral and organic away from its site of origin by the action of water, wind, gravity or ice.

Settling-out or deposition of particulate matter suspended in runoff.

Initial capturing and removal of unwanted contaminants, such as debris, sediment, leaves and pollutants, from stormwater before reaching a best management practice; Examples include, settling forebays, vegetated filter strips and gravel diaphragms.

A broad category of particulate material used in construction, including sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete and geosynthetic aggregates, and available in various particulate size gradations.

Mineral particles which are smaller than 2 mm, and which are free of appreciable quantities of clay and silt. Coarse sand usually designates sand grains with particle size between 0.2 and 0.02 mm.

Land owned by private individuals or companies.

Low Impact Development. A stormwater management strategy that seeks to mitigate the impacts of increased urban runoff and stormwater pollution by managing it as close to its source as possible. It comprises a set of site design approaches and small scale stormwater management practices that promote the use of natural systems for infiltration and evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting.

Mineral particles which are smaller than 2 mm, and which are free of appreciable quantities of clay and silt. Coarse sand usually designates sand grains with particle size between 0.2 and 0.02 mm.

An underlying bed filled with aggregate or other void-forming fill material that temporarily stores stormwater before infiltrating into the native soil or being conveyed by an underdrain pipe.

The total mass of a pollutant entering a waterbody over a defined time period.

The net amount of something (e.g. chemical, such as phosphorus), calculated as the product of concentration and volume in a given time. Some BMPs significantly reduce loading of pollutants to the environment by reducing volume more so than concentration.