Permeable Paving
Pavement specifically engineered to let rainwater soak through its surface and into the ground below, rather than shedding water off into storm drains the way conventional solid pavement does.
Why it matters
Conventional pavement increases stormwater runoff, which can overwhelm storm drainage systems and carry pollutants directly into waterways. Permeable paving is one of the tools a sustainable site design uses to reduce that runoff at the source, letting water soak back into the ground roughly where it fell instead.
On a real project
A project's parking area is built using permeable paving instead of standard asphalt, letting rainwater filter down through the surface and into a gravel base below rather than running off into the site's storm drainage system.
Who this matters most to
A Civil Engineer specifies permeable paving as part of a site's overall stormwater management strategy, often alongside other features like a bioswale.
Where this goes wrong
A project installs permeable paving but doesn't maintain it, letting fine sediment and debris clog the surface over time. The paving gradually loses its ability to let water through, and it ends up performing almost like conventional pavement despite the extra cost of installing it.