The University of Guelph and Toronto Region Conservation Authority have recently initiated a research collaboration to evaluate the performance of permeable pavement in cold climate environments. Permeable pavement offers a means to reduce runoff, improve water quality and minimize thermal impacts to receiving water systems. However, there is continuing concern and uncertainty regarding the long term performance of these systems. In particular the harsh winters, which occur throughout Ontario and the associated sanding and salting of roadways, have a detrimental effect on both infiltration performance and the quality of the infiltrated water. Sanding of parking facilities can clog the voids within the pavement and, in extreme circumstances, essentially render the pavement impermeable. Even if pavement facilities are not sanded or salted during winter months contaminants and fine particulate matter are still introduced through the day-to-day flow of vehicle traffic. The hydraulic performance of porous pavement can be improved and even restored if regular maintenance is performed and fines removed. Numerous permeable parking facilities, of varying ages, exist throughout Ontario but there are few comprehensive studies evaluating pavement performance within Ontario. In this paper performance issues associated with Ontario conditions will be explained and details of the collaborative permeable pavement research project will be presented.
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