Puddles Be Gone! (Have You Heard of Porous Asphalt?)

Porous asphalt solves Jacksonville parking lot water drainage issues.

It’s Jacksonville, Florida. In June. It’s just rained buckets and you are sitting in your car in the parking lot. The parking lot full of rain… and you are wearing your new leather shoes. This parking lot has drainage basins, but the 1” deep water is draining slowly and you are running late.  You have to make a run for it and hope for the best for those new shoes.  That’s life in Jacksonville, Florida in June.

What if it didn’t have to be that way?  What if there was an asphalt that allowed the water to drain straight down, immediately?

There is. It’s called Porous Asphalt, appropriately enough, and it is designed specifically to allow water to drain through the pavement into a stone recharge bed and into the ground, often times bypassing the need for those drainage basins and metal grates.

How does porous asphalt work?

The key to a successful porous pavement is to give the water somewhere to go.  Instead of the standard limerock or crushed asphalt base, this material is installed on an open-graded stone bed that ranges in depth from 10” – 36”, depending on the need.  As the water drains through the porous asphalt, it enters the stone bed and slowly filters back into the ground.

First used in the mid-1970s, porous asphalt is gaining new momentum as a viable option when stormwater regulations make a standard parking lot cost-prohibitive and impractical.  In addition to reducing the need for stormwater management systems and added burden to the storm sewers, porous asphalt has been shown to have a high removal rate for total suspended solids, metals, oil and grease, while replenishing water tables and aquifers.

Is there any construction cost savings when choosing porous asphalt?

A hose sprays water onto porous asphaltExcitingly, in most cases (particularly in Florida), Porous Asphalt, when installed properly, is actually a money-saver!  By design, these pavements utilize stone recharge beds and drain water directly back into the ground.  Not only is this more efficient, it also eliminates the need for expensive stormwater drainage systems (drainage basins, underground pipes and retention ponds).  This equals clear cost savings, while helping the environment and getting rid of water faster.

The bottom line for porous asphalt:

When properly designed and installed, porous pavement can be a cost-effective, attractive pavement with a life-span equal to traditional asphalt pavements.

For more information or to request a quote today, call one of our estimators at (904) 296-2020.