Ice and particulates, i.e., small dirt particles, are the downfall to 'pervious' pavement options. Like most things, the laws of physics are undefeated.

If you use pervious pavers, the ones with grass growing in between them for a parking area, kinda like what USAA used in their main campus here in San Antonio, you have to install an underground series of 'French Drain' pipes to collect and route the rain that filters down through the pavement section away somehow. Might look nice on top but costs much more $ and does not last well. Duh.

Road pavements are what they are. Like many other things in our life that are pretty much at the top of their design curve/life. Paper, diapers, washcloths, bluejeans, t-shirts, BBQ, ice cream, blankets, iron skillets, etc. Some things are pretty much perfect right now and can't be improved. Only made more expensive.

Ribeye-Rare said:

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rynning said:

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sleepybeagle said:

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FYI - A&M back in the 80's used something around the trees on campus that looked like small stones glued together. Similar idea to the picture above. I don't believe it worked very well.

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Yes! It was everywhere and shiny, if I recall. After a while, it started to crumble. I think the last of it was finally removed a few years ago.

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Yep. They called it 'prairie film', and until it started to break down, I thought it was a pretty neat Aggie idea.

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It was pretty neat until you tried to walk on it when it was wet then prairie slime was a more descriptive term.

A permeable pavement is installed on the Sam Houston tollway in Houston north of us 290 for a couple of miles.

I believe it was installed to reduce road noise but is nice in rain because it does not pond. It seems to have held up well.

I wont say a lot about this product as I installed some about 12 years ago but in a location with a confidentiality agreement.

Product was very interesting as it was much coarser than the video and what you are thinking. It was used for a jogging trail but received a lot of smaller vehicle traffic. No large trucks. The under Gravel layer was important for the water hold for freeze. The edges of the pavement had to be exposed.

Yes it would build soil dust in it but as soon as it rained well it seemed to flush out. Was a 6 inch pour. And you could see the under gravel in some areas. It was that coarse. The binding agent was grey and our gravel white so it was pretty easy to tell.

I can tell you I had to tear a stretch out with a backhoe and I was not a believer in it until that moment. The hoe ram had its hands full. After that I started to see a potential future.

It rained 6 inches an hour one time as we had an irrigation rain bucket on site and I can say it handled all the water. I got to watch it hold up for 3 years. Can't say how it held up since. Like anything I believe install detail is critical. I also don't think it is 18 wheeler material but for parking lots in critical areas I believe if installed right would work. Just a little info. Not to argue with any of the info above. I just have had a little experience with it.

I can also say trees love the stuff. As long as air in spaces roots will not enter but at the drainage edges oak trees make a solid root mat getting the easy water. lol.

aggiehawg said:

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Get Off My Lawn said:

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Problems: ice, ice, ice, and ice. Also ice. And erosion and stress. But mainly ice.

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Thank you. Being a veteran of the Save Our Springs wars over impervious cover, I wonder why that technology was not emphasized.

What about costs? How much more expensive is it the install and maintain over standard paved roads?

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It's a newer technology for highways and building I believe.

Plus the point of save our springs was not to save our springs it was to prevent development and keep people out of Austin. I look at as NIMBY

Not sure which side you were on, not trying to offend.

I worked with the developers and builders. Bill Bunch was no friend of mine.

aggiehawg said:

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I worked with the developers and builders. Bill Bunch was no friend of mine.

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Are you keeping up with the proposed Milestone development at 1626 and SH 45 SW?

Dad-O-Lot said:

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aggiehawg said:

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I worked with the developers and builders. Bill Bunch was no friend of mine.

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Are you keeping up with the proposed Milestone development at 1626 and SH 45 SW?

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No, been out of the biz for awhile now.

Pervious pavements have been around for a while. I remember reading about some installations in inner city Philly probably 30+ years ago, mostly on pedestrian areas like sidewalks and basketball courts and what not.

It has its place and can be a good product if properly installed and used in areas that don't have super heavy traffic. Like anything else, installation will make or break the performance and longevity of the product.

I'm no engineer but the real answer is impervious paving with surface drains installed over a pervious paving subgrade over a traditional subgrade.


Again, I'm no engineer but I think we can all agree it sounds cool.

Get Off My Lawn said:

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Problems: ice, ice, ice, and ice. Also ice. And erosion and stress. But mainly ice.

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Also causes a lot more wear on your tires.