How Porous Pavement Can Save You Thousands

In the winter months, snow, standing snowmelt, and salt can cause serious damage to roadways, sidewalks, and parking lots. Proper drainage is essential for protecting asphalt surfaces and the latest in paving technology takes drainage to a new level. Permeable or porous paving is a new technology solution that may be implemented by counties, cities and states to help reduce the impact of winter’s snow and ice on asphalt and to extend the lifespan of their investment.

What is porous pavement?

Porous paving is created when a paved surface contains a higher percentage of air gaps, allowing more water to percolate into the subsurface. Porous surfaces allow runoff from parking lots, driveways, and side roads to drain straight into the sub-base. Permeable paving techniques include porous asphalt, pervious concrete, plastic, etc.

Why?

Winter brings with it a surplus of water, snow, ice, and ice melt on roads, sidewalks, and parking lots which can cause substantial damage to surfaces. As a result, fractures develop in asphalt pavement over time. Water seeps into these cracks, causing the ground to deteriorate. Porous pavement allows the water to infiltrate into the soil below preventing the large areas of weather damage.

Advantages/ Benefits

Some advantages and benefits of porous paving include:

• Reduce stormwater runoff volume from paved surfaces
• Reduce peak discharge rates
• Increase recharge through infiltration
• Reduce pollutant transport through direct infiltration
• Can last for decades in cold climates if properly designed, installed, and maintained
• Improved site landscaping benefits (grass pavers only)
• Can be used as a retrofit when parking lots are replaced
• Can last up to twenty years before showing cracks or potholes
• Very durable product

The benefits of porous paving can save your city or commercial property thousands of dollars in the long term compared to typical asphalt paving. There are also plenty of environmental benefits like protecting wildlife from winter salt runoff.

Where

Porous paving is suitable for sidewalks, walkways, patios, plazas, driveways, and overflow parking areas. While porous material is not suitable for major roadways or highways, small roads are acceptable. There are a variety of uses for porous paving in cities and towns, so contact your local paving professional for input.

Team Cam is the company you can trust for quality asphalt paving in Baltimore, Maryland and its surrounding areas. Call us today at (443) 304-2237 or fill out the form below for a free estimate.