Pervious pavements are rainwater control systems that filter and store rainwater, reducing runoff formation and the risk of urban flooding. In addition, these sustainable urban drainage systems provide an additional source of water for non-potable use, which implies a cost and energy saving. An experimental 45 place parking lot consisting of five different types of pervious pavements was constructed in a public park in Santander, northern Spain. The purpose of this research is to evaluate and compare the effect of each pervious pavement type on water storage under specific conditions in northern Spain over time. The main results showed that the pervious materials chosen influence the behaviour of pervious pavements for storm-water management. Firstly, pervious surface materials had a greater effect than the geotextile layer. Nevertheless, the differences in terms of storm-water management using the different pervious pavement types tested still need to be confirmed. Clustering techniques showed three different behaviours according to the pervious surface used. Moreover, porous asphalt (PA) and porous concrete (PC) showed the highest correlation (86%), whereas plastic grid pavers (PGC) showed least correlation with the others. The capacity of pervious pavement to manage urban storm-water was demonstrated and this experimental parking area provided an alternative water source supplying enough water to irrigate a public garden for almost an entire month.

Pervious pavements are drainage techniques that improve urban water management in a sustainable manner. An experimental pervious pavement parking area has been constructed in the north of Spain (Santander), with the aim of harvesting good quality rainwater. Forty-five pervious pavement structures have been designed and constructed to measure stored water quantity and quality simultaneously. Ten of these structures are specifically constructed with different geotextile layers for improving water storage within the pavements. Following the confirmation in previous laboratory experiments that the geotextile influenced on water storage, two different geosynthetics (Inbitex and a One Way evaporation control membrane) and control pervious pavements with no geotextile layers were tested in the field. Weather conditions were monitored in order to find correlations with the water storage within the pervious pavement models tested. During one year of monitoring the three different pervious pavement types tested remained at their maximum storage capacity. The heavy rain events which occurred during the experimental period caused evaporation rates within the pervious pavements to be not significant, but allowed the researchers to observe certain trends in the water storage. Temperature was the most closely correlated weather factor with the level of the water stored within the pervious pavements tested.

Pervious pavements are sustainable urban drainage systems already known as rainwater infiltration techniques which reduce runoff formation and diffuse pollution in cities. The present research is focused on the design and construction of an experimental parking area, composed of 45 pervious pavement parking bays. Every pervious pavement was experimentally designed to store rainwater and measure the levels of the stored water and its quality over time. Six different pervious surfaces are combined with four different geotextiles in order to test which materials respond better to the good quality of rainwater storage over time and under the specific weather conditions of the north of Spain. The aim of this research was to obtain a good performance of pervious pavements that offered simultaneously a positive urban service and helped to harvest rainwater with a good quality to be used for non potable demands.