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Permeable pavers made this outdoor living space possible when the regulating municipality wouldn’t allow the homeowner to add more impermeable surfaces. The project used Willow Creek Brickstone permeable pavers with borders, colors and patterns tastefully delineating each space.
Permeable paver solutions
By Brenda Bredahl, Willow Creek Paving StonesBurt Plett is the go-to guy for permeable pavers at Willow Creek Paving Stones. As more and more communities and homeowners look for water conservation and stormwater management solutions, Burt sees an opportunity for contractors to provide a permeable paver solution.
Why are more homeowners requesting permeable pavers?
Burt: Homeowners might learn about permeable pavers when they want to create a patio, but during the permitting process they discover that their city has an impervious surface limit. These limits are increasingly commonplace. Sometimes homeowners come to a contractor having done some research because they want to be as green as possible in their landscaping. Permeable pavers are often the best solution. Permeables should be considered for situations where water pools or ice builds up, in areas needing high-flow drainage, or near shorelines where runoff or water quality is a concern.What are some specific examples and solutions that contractors used?
Burt: In an 104-unit, transit-oriented development in Minneapolis called Oaks Station Place, permeable pavers solved several issues in paving 9,000 sf of public walkways and a residential patio.The first was to minimize stormwater runoff to the nearby Minnehaha Creek Watershed. The second was to make the highly trafficked walkways safer by minimizing ice buildup. Lastly, pavers were preferred because they could be easily removed and reinstalled when sculptures planned for the area were ready for installation.
Ecological benefits
- Reduce pollutant runoff into waterways
- Reduce thermal pollution of waterways
- Reduce "heat island" effect of paved surfaces
- Recharge groundwater
Economic benefits
- Gain usable space on properties
- Reduce need for retention ponds
- Reduce costs of stormwater drainage
- Earn LEED credits
Performance
- Eliminates puddles on pavement
- Eliminates ice patches by draining snow melt
- Low maintenance
- Durable beauty
Villa Landscapes of St. Paul provided a attractive solution with permeable pavers. They made it possible to add the dining, grilling and additional parking areas the homeowners wanted.
Last example: Several years ago MRG Tool & Die in Faribault, MN had also reached their municipality’s impervious surface limit. But they needed to expand their parking lot to accommodate growth. Engineer HR Green solved the problem with 18,000 sf of permeable pavers machine-installed by contractor JD Rynders. The parking lot looks so good they hold a classic car show on it every year.
What are some examples of permeables addressing water quality/conservation issues?
Burt: A Minneapolis park district was impressed by the permeable paver system’s ability to replenish groundwater, reduce thermal pollution and protect watersheds from runoff. That’s why it commissioned SEH Inc. and contractor Glacial Ridge to install 19,000 sf of permeable paver parking pads at Fish Lake Park.The soil was heavily clay and drained poorly, so a drain system of perforated pipe was added beneath the permeable paver installation to direct excess water into a storm sewer to a detention pond. The permeable parking pads also provide drainage for runoff from the asphalt driving lanes located between the pads.
In urban areas, the heat island effect and stormwater management are of great concern as is the watering of urban trees. In a mile-long stretch of sidewalk on Marquette Street in Minneapolis, a permeable installation has achieved those goals including reducing stormwater runoff from more than 50,000 sf of surrounding impermeable pavements.
A support structure manufactured by DeepRoot was installed beneath the pavers. It works something like a pedestal paver system. But the voids around the support structure were filled with bio-infiltration soil mix. The structure was covered with geotextile, layers of drainage aggregate and the pavers.
This system filters pollutants from the stormwater and prevents compaction so water can infiltrate down to the tree roots, reducing the need for irrigation. It can handle 21,600 cf of stormwater from each rain event.
Burt Plett was part of the team that developed the stormwater management system for Maplewood Mall near St. Paul, MN. The system incorporates permeable pavers, rain gardens, infiltration basins, tree trenches, and water features that collect and direct roof runoff to the permeable pavement areas. The project reduced the overall phosphorus load from the site by at least 60% and sediment by 90% to nearby Kohlman Lake.
How can contractors learn more about permeable pavers?
Burt: The best way to learn more about permeable pavers is to take advantage of training and resources provided by permeable paver manufacturers like Willow Creek and trade groups like the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute. Because permeable paving stones work as a system that is specific to site and soil conditions, the contractor needs to be able to properly assess the site. The Willow Creek website offers a wealth of information, such as case studies, technical bulletins and installation tips.Permeable pavers can solve many landscaping and water concerns. They are also beautiful, durable and low maintenance. Take the time to educate yourself and your customers on permeable pavers. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Burt Plett is product manager of Willow Creek Paving Stones. Based in Minnesota, Willow Creek offers Brickstone and Aqua-Loc permeable paving stones through a distributor network in 8 states. Visit www.WillowCreekPavingStones.com
