AbstractsEngineering

The environmental benefits of permeable pavements are vast and include stormwater quantity reduction, stormwater quality improvement, urban heat island mitigation, and groundwater recharge, among others. Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavements, PICP explicitly infiltrate water, a new concept to engineering practice for pavements. This technology as a load-carrying surface has not yet been fully characterized nor has the decades of design and performance experience of conventional pavements. This research project developed a hydraulic design methodology for PICPs. Test sections were evaluated in a two layer hydraulic flume to determine horizontal infiltration rates, and overflow rates for various block spacing, patterns, and across a broad range of pavement cross slopes. Results demonstrated the infiltration rate of the PICPs exposed to horizontal sheet flow was significantly lower than the measured vertical infiltration rate which is currently used in field verification. The results also showed that the infiltration rates are inversely related to the cross slope of the pavement. Additional research included permeable concrete pavement as an alternative sub-base and clogging tests which included the creation of synthetic stormwater for PICP was completed and analyzed. Advisors/Committee Members: Kevern, John T (advisor).