Porous Asphalt

Porous asphalt pavements are being used to reduce or eliminate storm water runoff from parking lots and other such facilities. A porous asphalt pavement is constructed over a stone filled reservoir to collect and store storm water and to allow it to infiltrate into the soil between rainfalls (Figure 1). Where low soil permeability is not conducive to infiltration, a similar design can be used as a detention facility or an exfiltration solution that filters pollutants from the first flush and improves the water quality of the runoff. These designs can reduce pollution and replace expensive detention and treatment facilities. 
Porous pavement systems are rapidly gaining favor with designers and regulators as an economical approach to storm water management for sustainable or low-impact development. As the NPDES permit requirements have become more widely applicable, it has become necessary that developers find more innovative means of compliance. Porous pavement systems are commonly being used as part of a strategy to obtain Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification for green building projects. 

Porous Asphalt Pavement Resources

From Flexible Pavements of Ohio

Six page design brochure on "Porous Asphalt Pavements" PS-33E
"Porous Asphalt Pavement", a presentation by Kent Hansen, Director of Engineering, National Asphalt Pavement Association.

From the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Information on the design, construction & maintenance of permeable paving materials can found in Chapter 2, Section 2.11 of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Rainwater & Land Development Manual


From The Franklin Institute: The original Porous Pavement Design Guide, developed by Thelen and Howe

The Shingle Creek Watershed Management Commission in Minnesota is monitoring the snow and ice control requirements of two porous asphalt intersections in Robbinsdale, MN. See the "Shingle Creek Watershed Porous Asphalt Pavement Study" article in MnAPA newsletter for more information.

"Porous Asphalt for Stormwater Management, It's Not Just for Parking Lots Anymore", a presentation by Gary Thompson, PE, Training Director for the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon on the use of porous pavement in street construction.



From the Minnesota Department of Transportation:

Local case study:
"Porous Pavement, A Green Step Forward", a presentation made by Henry Fedders, PE, at the 2009 Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference. Mr. Fedders and his associates report surprising data on a porous asphalt parking lot that was designed as a detention facility but is showing impressive results in infiltration and water quality improvement.

From STORMWATER. The Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals:
"Porous Asphalt Pavement with Recharge Beds - 20 Years and Still Working"

From the Federal Highway Administration: 

From the Transportation Research Board (TRB):
TRB Conference Proceedings 16, Snow and Ice Control Technology, Winter maintenance on Porous Asphalt, Maarten Noort, Meteo Consult , The Netherlands, 1997

Other resources and studies about stormwater management using porous asphalt:


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