Coupling GIS with Stormwater Modelling for the Location Prioritization and Hydrological Simulation of Permeable Pavements in Urban Catchments

Daniel Jato-Espino,Ignacio Andrés-Doménech,Nora Sillanpää,Susanne Charlesworth

doi:10.3390/w8100451

Daniel Jato-Espino, Ignacio Andrés-Doménech + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/w8100451

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Abstract

Permeable Pavement Systems (PPS) are an alternative to conventional paving systems that allow water to filter through their layers instead of running off them. They are structural source control Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS), which can contribute to reducing increased flood risk due to the combination of two of the greatest challenges with which cities will have to deal in the future: urbanization and Climate Change. Hence, this research consisted of the design of a site selection methodology for the location prioritization of PPS in urban catchments, in order to simulate their potential to attenuate flooding caused by severe rainfall events. This was achieved through the coupling of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and stormwater models, whose combination provided a framework for both locating and characterizing PPS. The usefulness of the methodology was tested through a real case study consisting of an urban catchment located in Espoo (southern Finland), which demonstrated that PPS can make a significant difference in the amount of runoff generated in an urban catchment due to intense storms.

Highlights

Urbanization and Climate Change are two major phenomena that are transforming natural hydrological processes in catchments [1] and boost flood frequency
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are an alternative to traditional approaches that can reduce the impact of these phenomena by helping to restore the natural water cycle and ensuring that cities become more resilient to floods produced by variations in climate [2]
The results demonstrated that the hydrological impact of Permeable Pavement Systems (PPS) can be maximized if their location is prioritized according to the drainage capacity of urban catchments using spatial site selection tools to identify areas requiring primary action

Summary

Introduction

Urbanization and Climate Change are two major phenomena that are transforming natural hydrological processes in catchments [1] and boost flood frequency. The effects of Climate Change are likely to alter the intensity of rainfall events and result in variations in peak discharge and runoff volume that might exceed the capacity of conventional drainage practices like sewer systems. PPS can be considered a standalone stormwater treatment train, since they act as infiltration, harvesting, conveyance and storage systems that enable runoff and diffuse pollution control and provide social benefits related to aesthetics, comfort and safety [4].

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