The performance of pervious pavement

Abstract

Fresh water in the Maltese islands is a very scarce resource, due to the prevailing climatic and geographic conditions. The freshwater reserves in groundwater aquifers are only replenished when rain percolates into them; however, the situation is being degraded by the steady increase in urban infrastructure, intense rainy periods and decrease in permeable unpaved areas resulting in water runoff into the sea. Such a scenario also exacerbates the risk of flooding. This dissertation aims at investigating the infiltration performance and design of a storm water facility using pervious pavement systems that utilise pervious concrete and local paving blocks. Initially an investigation into the characteristics of pervious concrete using recycled brick aggregate was conducted in order to increase understanding of the material through which a balance between strength and porosity of the material could be struck. Then a slab was produced from the optimum design mix and further tests were conducted to analyse its performance. Later, the performance of the road build-up with a pervious concrete slabs and pervious joint pavement was analysed. This analysis has confirmed that such a system is feasible in Malta and can help increase the infiltration rate, decrease the risk of flooding and reduce construction and demolition waste in Malta.