A Study on the Failure Mechanism of Permeable Pavement Surfaces

Abstract

Understanding of how permeable pavement surfaces may retain efficient infiltration capacities during high storm water intensities is limited. To evaluate clogging, both performance studies and assessment of permeability for construction quality needs to be assessed. Until now, no earlier research has been conducted where a total population of permeable pavement surfaces were unified into one study. This thesis combines all usable data of permeable pavement surfaces in the Netherlands. The aim of this research was to increase knowledge regarding the failure mechanism of permeable pavement surfaces and what is causing clogging of the systems. A consistent and improved calculation method is presented that compensates for hydrological variables during experiments. The rate on which the infiltration capacity of the permeable pavement surfaces is reduced is compared regarding the construction’s information. Also, a correlation analysis is conducted to explain individual relationships between various structural elements and low infiltration capacities. The greater amount of permeable pavement surfaces tested do not function conform the European norm of 97.2 mm/hour. The results show variation in infiltration capacities for each of the studied structural elements. It is concluded that although many permeable pavement surfaces show significant low infiltration capacities, prove of the underlying failure mechanism is limited. This thesis presents recommendations for future research.