Evaluation of porous asphalt hydrological performances through rainfall-runoff modelling by EPA SWMM

Abstract

Over the last few decades, the increase in extreme weather events has caused urban floods to become more and more frequent, with increased risks for road users. Among the different types of pavement structures, permeable pavements (PPs) can effectively increase the hydraulic resilience of the cities since they are specifically designed for reducing runoff by allowing water to infiltrate and be discharged into the soil and/or by drains. This study aims at evaluating the hydrological performance of a Porous Asphalt (PA) using numerical simulations for a case study carried out using EPA SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) software. Several simulations have been carried out, considering different rainfall events, covered areas, and spatial layouts of the permeable pavement itself. The results provide useful information on the use of PA.