The Advantages of Permeable Paving | Billy.com

Permeable paving systems use plastic grids filled with gravel or sod, creating a parking area or driveway that allows water to sink into the soil. The advantages of permeable paving systems include ease of installation, cost savings, and erosion control, among others.

Filtration

Permeable paving systems allow water to filter down into the earth. In the process, the soil filters out pollutants that might otherwise end up in streams, lakes, and rivers.

Reduces Flooding

Rainwater runoff from heavy storms can easily overwhelm older storm sewer systems. Permeable paving allows water to soak into the ground, reducing the amount of water flowing into sewers all at once. Non-permeable concrete and asphalt surfaces direct all the water that falls on them into the storm sewer system, adding stress to the entire system.

Reduces Heat Islands

Concrete and asphalt get very hot, creating urban “heat islands” that absorb heat and raise temperatures. Permeable paving doesn’t cause a heat island. Instead, the soil beneath can “breathe,” releasing heat and maintaining a cooler surface temperature.

Plastic Grids Are Recyclable

Many plastic grid systems are made from recycled materials. When they reach the end of their useful life, they can be recycled again. These sustainable systems reduce waste and energy use, because they don’t require new materials to be manufactured.

Won’t Heave or Buckle

Grid pavement systems can move with the soil beneath. It won’t buckle or heave like concrete or asphalt, and it is less susceptible to cracking from expansion and contraction due to temperature changes.

Lightweight and easy to install, geo grids that contain permeable paving materials are strong and reinforce the ground beneath them. They distribute and disperse the weight of cars and heavy equipment that drive across them. They can be used in roadbuilding, and they are also useful for erosion control on slopes and hillsides.

Not all permeable pavement systems use grids. Some concrete pavers are designed to form larger openings between the bricks to allow water to seep through. People have also developed permeable types of concrete and asphalt. The choice of materials for a driveway or parking lot will come down to cost, maintenance, and aesthetics.