Research Idea Details

Research Idea Scope

Porous pavement usage and design has improved dramatically since 2003 when the National Asphalt Paving Association published guidelines on mix designs with continued refinements by the UNHSC  and others. The use of porous pavements in a transportation setting vary from parking lots , to road shoulders, low use roads , to moderate use state roads . However, porous pavement failures still abound and can generally be traced to either poor mix design or poor installation practices. While improvements have been made, important deficiencies still remain. Recent studies have shown that porous pavements can result in substantial total project cost savings of 6-26% due to reduction of stormwater infrastructure.

This task will address the following items: 1)  Selection and availability of asphalt modifiers, 2) Aggregate gradation as it relates to clogging and materials strength, 3) Science-based maintenance practices, 4) Installation practices as they relate to project size and design use, 5) Variations in mix design based on usage requirements (e.g. low use, high use roadways), 6) Recommendations on quality assurance and quality control during production and qualified engineering oversight from design to installation, 7) Engineering cost estimates for design and construction for stormwater management infrastructure.Research products will include four technical documents: 1) porous pavement mix specification and construction guidance, 2) detailed maintenance procedures for routine cleaning, 3) detailed maintenance procedures for winter maintenance and deicing, and 4) Engineering and construction costs for construction of porous pavements based on usage requirements.