WilsonGoFixItPost




 * Caption:** //Permeable pavement and innovative road design can be a great investment and an innovative way to sustainably deal with surface runoff, water pollution, and the heat island effect while improving on general municipality aesthetics and increasing safety standards for pedestrians and cyclists.//

Parking lots, driveways, and common roads are a major contributor to increased contaminants in our waterways. These contaminants include pesticides, bacteria, salts used for de-icing, detergents, spilled oil, trash, and even dead leaves (6). When rainwater and snowmelt mixes and becomes toxic from these contaminants in these locations, it then becomes surface runoff, eroding away soil and washing all of the contaminants into the water supply or natural bodies of water.
 * Permeable Pavement and Innovative Road Design**

Permeable pavement is a range of materials and techniques for paving roads, cycle-paths, parking lots and sidewalks that allow the movement of water and air around the paving material. The idea behind it is that any water that lands on it will soak through instead of becoming runoff. Impurities may also be removed in the same way water filtration works. Water that was once stopped from flowing into groundwater aquifers by impermeable roads can do so once again with permeable pavement. Permeable pavement is also effective in combating the heat island effect (2).

An extrapolation of this idea may also include the planting of trees and gardens of local carbon dioxide and pollution-filtering plant species in low areas beside the road (1). Bike paths can be added in between parked cards and the side walk to increase safety and to encourage people to drive less. Street lights powered by the sun or the wind or even car pressure can brighten the new roadway. The permeable pavement itself could also be designed to best utilize local resources, encouraging diversity between municipalities.

There are many benefits that the implementation of permeable pavement provides. Ecologically, it will reduce runoff and pollution volume. In areas with suitable soil, permeable pavement will allow water to replicate the natural water cycle by allowing for groundwater recharge (3). This will also impact infrastructure in a positive way by improving on the performance of existing storm water and infiltration flow technologies.

In addition, permeable pavement is modular and is therefore highly versatile (7). Their natural surface roughness can help to calm traffic speeds. It can also provide pedestrians with smooth, porous pavements so that they do not have to walk on a rough surface. Some techniques can eliminate mud, prevent soil compaction, and do not rot, crack, or splinter, minimizing maintenance costs (except for vegetative ones, which may require upkeep). These roads are also lightweight, easy to install, and are long lasting (3).

However, permeable pavement does have a few limitations. It cannot be used everywhere, because permeable pavement can't handle the heavy traffic of freeways (sources differ on the exact statistics) (9). In addition, overhead roads won’t benefit much from permeable pavement (although roadside plants may still be an effective addition to these locations). In addition, a lot of locations’ runoff will need to be pretreated and directed into storage tanks, before re-entering the soil due to its current state of toxicity (these include areas like commercial nurseries, recycling facilities, fueling stations, industrial storage, marinas, public works yards, and hazardous materials generators)(5). Geographical siting, climate, and cost may also differ from region to region. Cost may also be an issue in that in some cases, permeable pavement may cost 2 to 3 times as much as conventional asphalt – but as a tradeoff it will last longer and will not need replacements as often (2).

Overall, in case studies where permeable pavement has been installed, results have shown dramatic reduction of surface runoff volumes and peak discharge, as exampled by a 1986 study done in the UK at Nottingham (10), and again in North Carolina, USA in 2007 (11). In addition, problem water quality indicators have also been significantly reduced. In most cases (with proper installation and maintenance) positive results and critique have been collected (5). Permeable pavement along with innovative road design can benefit residents, cyclists, industry, government, and pedestrians by providing a safer, aesthetically pleasing, and complementary way of living in the environment sustainably.

1. "Bay Daily: The Greener Path: Rebuilding Roads With Water-Permeable Concrete." //Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. .
 * References: **

2. "City of Chicago :: Permeable Paving." //City of Chicago//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. .

3. //EcoGrid/EcoRaster: Permeable Paving - Soil Stabilization - Erosion Control - Grass or Gravel Pavers//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. .

4. "PERMEABLE PAVEMENT | Building Green TV." //Home | Building Green TV//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. .

5. "Permeable Pavement, Rainwater Management, CRD." //Capital Regional District//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. .

6. "Permeable Pavement." //Toolbase.org//. ToolBase Services, C/o NAHB Research Center. Web. .

7. "Permeable Pavements, Green Parking Lots and Clean Water." //Worldchanging: Bright Green//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. .

8. "Permeable Paving." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. .

9. "Porous Pavements and Source Control." //Gardenvisit.com - the Garden Landscape Guide//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. .

10. Pratt, C.J, J.D.G Mantle, and P.A Schofield. "UK Research Into the Performance of Permeable Pavement, Reservoir Structures in Controlling Stormwater Discharge Quantity and Quality." //Wat. Sci. Tech.// 32.1 (1995): 63-69. Print.

11. Zachary Bean, Eban, William Frederick Hunt, and David Alan Bidelspach. "Evaluation of Four Permeable Pavement Sites in Eastern North Carolina for Runoff Reduction and Water Quality Impacts." //Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering// 133.6 (2007): 583. Print.


 * Annotations:**

1. "Bay Daily: The Greener Path: Rebuilding Roads With Water-Permeable Concrete." //Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog//. Web. 24 Nov. 2011. . 2. The author is a journalist that focuses on environmental news and opinions in the Chesapeake Bay region, he has also written about the construction of a new local coal plant. His credentials is that he is a journalist from Baltimore. 3. The main topic of this text is how the District of Columbia suburb of Edmonston is receiving $1.1 million in federal stimulus funds to rebuild part of its main street with water-permeable concrete and to redesign its road to encourage bike safety and alternative energy sources. 4. A) Describes how the town is using the solution to solve its problems. B) Describes how this solution can be applied to other problem areas (parking lots, garages, etc). C) Describes how the community and Bay will benefit greatly from this change. 5. A) “When the work is done, Decatur Street will naturally treat more than 90 percent of the pollution from the 40 inches of rainwater that sweeps into the Anacostia” B) “ Town manager Guy Tiberio told //Bay Daily // this morning that the project would use a variety of concrete that has gaps between the stones so that rain can filter down through the road into the ground, instead of running off into the gutter and then into streams.” C) “ ‘Green roads’ are a smart idea. But doubly intelligent is the concept of using federal stimulus money to create jobs through road rebuilding while reducing the storm water pollution. And it’s happening right in our back yard – and not in some upscale suburb, but in a working class community, where investment is sorely needed.” 6. The text supports my focus by giving an example of a town using the solution proposed to benefit the community. 7. A) How it’s not only the road pavement that needs to be redesigned but the road itself as well. B) How it can benefit an everyday, working class, American community.

1. Pratt, C.J, J.D.G Mantle, and P.A Schofield. "UK Research Into the Performance of Permeable Pavement, Reservoir Structures in Controlling Stormwater Discharge Quantity and Quality." //Wat. Sci. Tech.// 32.1 (1995): 63-69. Print. 2. The author is a member of the S tanding Conference on Stormwater Source Control and also represents the National Centre for School Technology (Great Britain). He has also written about technology modules and structures, but predominantly focuses on stormwater topics. His credentials are that he is a professor at Coventry University in Civil and Structural Engineering. 3. The main topic of the text is to demonstrate that the solution of permeable pavement has proven to be feasible and functional in dealing with the issue of surface water runoff. 4. A) The report showed through statistical data that the amount of pollutant and runoff was reduced after the installation of this technology. B) The report analyzed problems that may impede implementing this technology for widespread use. C) The report talks about the length of time to implement this technology for widespread use. 5. A) “Water quality parameters are shown to be stable in value after some six months, by which time surface contaminants on the sub-base stone had been washed out of construction.” B) “As outflow volume is reduced and water quality parameters (SS and Pb) are low in value, pollutant outflow loadings are significantly lower than with traditional, impermeable surfaces.” C) “It is difficult to predict the time to failure, as a wide range of factors govern sediment supply and hence blockage.” 6. This report proves through the scientific method how this solution can work to solve the problem. 7. A) The report was cited as a case study. B) This also gave insight to potential foreseeable problems.