Characterization of infiltration capacity of permeable pavements with porous asphalt surface using cantabrian fixed infiltrometer

Abstract

Porous asphalt is used in Permeable Pavement Systems, but it is sensitive to surface clogging, which leads to a loss in its infiltration capacity. Test methods based on the use of permeable pavement models, which are manufactured in a laboratory and assessed under different clogging conditions, such as slope, rain, and runoff, have been widely applied to the study of permeable pavements with concrete blocks but not to the study of porous bituminous mixtures. The Cantabrian Fixed (CF) Infiltrometer has been used for the study of porous asphalt with void percentages between 20 and 33%. Three clogging scenarios were studied: 1) newly placed surface, 2) surface with an average maintenance level, and 3) clogged surface. Each clogging scenario was tested with five different slopes: 0, 2, 5, 8, and 10% and three repetitions. The direct rainfall simulation was produced by five lines of bubblers over the 0.25 - m 2 piece, and the runoff was simulated by one perforated pipe over a plastic ramp at the beginning of the surface. From the analysis of the results, it was concluded that a suitable design of a porous bituminous mixture, with a void percentage that increases with depth, along with surface brushing are enough to ensure and maintain a good infiltration capacity. Finally, an empirical, conservative model for estimating the porous asphalt infiltration capacity, based on the length, the clogging scenario, and the surface slope, is proposed.