Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of open-joint inter-locking pavers in a permeable pavement in cold (winter) conditions. A field-scale inter-locking paver cell (UNI Eco-Optiloc®) was built to evaluate the hydraulic performance and water quality improvements experienced during freeze-thaw and frozen conditions in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hydraulic performance was assessed using stormwater runoff reduction (peaks and volumes) and surface infiltration capacity. Water quality performance for removal of total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP) and three heavy metals: copper, lead and zinc, was assessed. Results from the study demonstrated that the inter-locking pavers were effective in attenuating stormwater runoff peak volumes. The surface infiltration capacity decreased significantly due to the deposition of sanding and de-icing materials on the pavement surface during winter operation. Infiltrated stormwater was stored and treated within the pavement structure, which showed removal rates of 91% for TSS, 78% for TP, 6% for TN, 68% for zinc, 69% for copper and 55% for lead.
Highlights
The increase in impervious surface that accompanies urbanization often leads to significant and adverse impacts to the urban water environment in the form of increased runoff and impaired water quality
The results indicated that the peak rate reduction from the inflow was about 21%
Stormwater runoff was absorbed into the pavement very quickly and no ponding on the pavement surface was observed during this test
Summary
The increase in impervious surface that accompanies urbanization often leads to significant and adverse impacts to the urban water environment in the form of increased runoff and impaired water quality. In the case of urban expansion, traditional stormwater infrastructure such as stormwater retention ponds could lead to ineffective land use if greater numbers and larger sizes are required. Such conventional stormwater infrastructure may be incapable of removing pollutants from the stormwater to a satisfactory level before it is released into the receiving water [2,3]. The most widely used permeable pavements today include porous asphalt, porous concrete and concrete paving blocks (or inter-locking pavers) Such pavement systems can be used in pedestrian and vehicular traffic areas such as pathways, driveways, parking lots and access roads [5]
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