Date of Award

December 2014

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Advisor(s)

David G. Chandler

Second Advisor

Shobha Bhatia

Keywords

Engineered soil, Infiltration, Low Impact Development (LID), Porous pavement, Urban Runoff

Subject Categories

Engineering

Abstract

Engineered porous media are commonly used in low impact development (LID) structures to mitigate excess stormwater in urban environments. Differences in infiltrability of these LID systems arise from the wide variety of materials used to create porous surfaces and subsequent maintenance, debris loading, and physical damage. In this study, infiltration capacity of six common materials was tested by multiple replicate experiments with automated mini-disk infiltrometers. The tested materials included porous asphalt, porous concrete, porous brick pavers, flexible porous pavement, engineered soils, and native soils. Porous asphalt, large porous brick pavers, and curb cutout rain gardens showed the greatest infiltration rates. Most engineered porous pavements and soils performed better than the native silt loam soils. Infiltration performance was found to be related more to site design and environmental factors than material choice. Sediment trap zones in both pavements and engineered soil rain gardens were found to be beneficial to the whole site performance. Winter chloride application had a large negative impact on poured in place concrete, making it a poor choice for heavily salted areas.

Access

Open Access

Included in

Engineering Commons

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