Comparison of Runoff Control Performance by Five Permeable Pavement Systems in Zhenjiang, Yangtze River Delta of China

Urban stormwater management measures, such as permeable pavement systems (PPSs), have been widely implemented to alleviate increasingly severe urban water-related problems. However, the effectiveness of PPSs in runoff control under different rainfall conditions has not been fully investigated, particularly in China. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study the hydrological benefits of different PPSs in China. In this paper, five PPSs at the Zhenjiang sponge base, including one pervious concrete (PC), two permeable interlocking concrete pavements (PICP1 and PICP2), and two permeable bricks (PB1 and PB2), were selected as study cases. Surface runoff coefficients, underdrain runoff coefficients, total runoff volume reductions, and peak flow reductions during rainfall events throughout the flood seasons of 2019 and 2020 were calculated. The influence of rainfall characteristics, pavement type, and pavement age on PPS hydrological performance were evaluated by statistical analyses (p < 0.05). The results revealed that the average values of surface runoff coefficients, underdrain runoff coefficients, total runoff volume reductions, and peak flow reductions by the PPSs were approximately 0.025, 0.003, 98.1%, and 96.4%, respectively, in 2019 and changed to 0.045, 0.001, 96.3%, and 92.4%, respectively, in 2020. PC performed best with regard to surface runoff control at the initial stage of operation, followed by PB and PICP. Both rainfall depth and rainfall intensity had a significant correlation with each hydrological performance metric. The increase in surface runoff generation from 2019 to 2020 mainly resulted from the clogging problem, which was closely related to pavement type and surroundings of PPSs. PB performed better than PC and PICP in terms of sustainable hydrological performance. The results provide a scientific reference for the design, construction, and operation of PPSs and can aid with the sustainable construction of sponge cities in China. (C) 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.