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Pervious concrete ‘green’ solution to help prevent urban flooding |
| By
Jon Strunk |
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May 29, 2008
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The cause of the flooding in Toledo and Findlay in recent years is easily diagnosed: too much water with no place to go. Researchers at The University of Toledo are now working with a potential solution — pervious pavement that allows water to pass through it into the ground, rather than trapping and holding that water like a bowl.
“Pervious pavement is designed to allow infiltration of storm water through the surface into the soil below, where the water is naturally filtered and pollutants are removed,” explained Dr. Patrick Lawrence, UT associate professor in the Department of Geography and Planning.
“In contrast, normal pavement such as concrete and asphalt are impervious surfaces that shed rainfall — and associated surface pollutants — forcing the water to run off paved surfaces directly into nearby storm drains and then into streams and lakes,” he said.
The University of Toledo will pour one parking space and show off another that has recently been filled with pervious pavement Friday, May 30, at 2:30 p.m. in the northwest corner of the parking area directly north of the Glass Bowl on Main Campus.
Lawrence said that pervious concrete is poured and installed similarly to standard pavement, but uses larger bits of gravel and a lower water-to-cement ratio.
“The bed under the paved surface is layered with sand and gravel, which can act as a filter for the water, allowing for more natural drainage and infiltration into the soil before the water drains into a nearby sewer system or water body.”
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