A Simple Infiltration Test for Determination of Permeable Pavement Maintenance Needs

Abstract

Permeable pavements allow stormwater to pass through the pavement surface, filtering out sediment and debris; over time, regular preventative maintenance will be needed to maintain the pavement surface infiltration rate (IR). IR testing is commonly used to determine maintenance needs and frequencies. ASTM standard methods may be used to measure permeable pavement IR; however, these tests can take hours to complete and require infiltrometers not readily available to maintenance contractors. A simple infiltration test (SIT) has been devised which (1) is conducted using easily acquired materials, (2) has a larger surface area (i.e., more representative of average pavement conditions), and (3) requires, on average, 72% less time to conduct than the ASTM test. ASTM and SIT methods were compared by conducting a total of 873 IR tests at the same locations on 12 permeable pavements in North Carolina, Ohio, and Sweden. Results showed that (1) a segmented linear relationship related SIT and ASTM-measured IRs; (2) the SIT and ASTM tests predicted approximately the same IR up to 250 mm/min; (3) the larger surface area of the SIT reduced the variability in measurements (average 40% less) compared to the ASTM method. The SIT took one-quarter the time to run, on average, making this newly-devised tool more efficient when assessing IR than ASTM methods, potentially saving maintenance personnel time and money.