Problem to Solution
The problem is the need for Restoring specially designed manufactured (permeable) pavers with more open joints for improving infiltration that helps with stormwater management. Joints quickly fill up and clog with silt from many sources, organic and inorganic. As most pavement managers know, they will reach a point in time when the permeability and infiltration rates of such pavements will fall below what was designed, or acceptable.
Our Experience with PICP is that the surrounding environment, use of the pavement, and many other variables can cause complete failure in a relatively few years. Regular infiltration testing by the property owner, or an engineering service company, needs to be integrated into the property pavement review and maintenance schedule. Once implemented, one can set the levels of unacceptable infiltration performance.
Testing of Infiltration Rates should result in Parameters being set for the Following Actions:
• NO ACTION
• WATCH
• CLOSE WATCH - Increase # of areas and frequency to Test (ACTION)
• SCHEDULE CLEANING - Identified areas or whole pavement (ACTION)
Perception by maintenance managers, property owners, and environmental oversight departments is a bigger problem than might actually exist; but perception can easily become reality. It is important to be able to document the permeable pavement during its life cycle. Already, cities and municipalities are beginning to limit the use of permeable pavements as the perception has become that the permeability cannot be properly managed, quantified, or maintained over the life of the pavement.
When that mentality is reached, it is hard to reverse.
Using proven methods to test infiltration rates, clean, and Restore the pavement, we have simple testing methodology available to quantify the progression of clogging and now have the proven TYPHOON system to return permeable pavements to at or near their original rates of infiltration performance.