17 FebPermeable Paving Solutions

Managing stormwater is a critical concern for municipalities, enJugineers and developers. As our communities grow and develop, naturally permeable surfaces like grass and gravel are replaced with impermeable materials like concrete and asphalt.

Permeable paving is a green infrastructure solution that allows you to construct a strong and stable surface without sacrificing permeable space.

Jump to Comparing Permeable Paving Solutions

What is Permeable Paving?

Permeable paving is an alternative to traditional paving that intends to improve stormwater infiltration. This environmentally friendly paving technique is a favorable way to increase the total permeable area on a development while still supporting foot and vehicular traffic. Permeable paving, however, is not meant to be a substitution for traditional paving on every site.

Permeable Paving vs. Traditional Paving

The difference between permeable paving and traditional paving is the porosity of the paving material.

Traditional paving applies asphalt, concrete or pavers to a graded base in order to create a smooth road, driveway, path or parking lot.

Paving with these products, however, increases the impermeable surface area. Runoff doesn’t infiltrate asphalt and concrete but rather flows over the hard surface.

Permeable paving, on the other hand, incorporates materials that absorb stormwater runoff.

Permeable products include pavers, porous paving systems and cellular confinement systems. Each product is designed to improve infiltration and increase the permeable surface area.

Porous paving systems and cellular confinement systems can be filled with stone, soil and natural vegetation. These materials naturally absorb runoff while also creating a stable base for traffic. These environmentally friendly options are not intended to be a direct substitution for all paving projects, however, you will find that they do have proven success for a wide variety of applications.

Permeable Paving Options

Although many permeable paving products appear similar, each product has a unique design that distinguishes its performance from others.  

We’re going to break down four of our favorite permeable paving options to help you decide which product works best for you.

Key Details	PaveDrain	GEOPAVE	GEOBLOCK	GEOWEB
Size	12″ x 12″ x 5.65″ block	40″ x 20″ panel, 2″ deep cells	40″ x 20″ panel, 1.2″ or 2″ deep cells	3″, 4″, 6″ and 8″ deep cells. Various panel sizes
Design	Articulated concrete block with arched storage chamber	Open cell rigid panel with mesh bottom to confine aggregate	Open cell rigid panel with open bottom cell to support grass establishment	Open cell flexible panels with open bottom to be infilled with stone or topsoil
Connection	Open joints	U-Clips	Interlocking tabs	Anchors and ATRA Keys

PaveDrain

PaveDrain is a permeable articulated concrete block that interlocks to create a permeable paving system. PaveDrain is not a traditional permeable paver.

We love the product’s arch design that maximizes stormwater storage but the stormwater monitoring system is what truly distinguishes PaveDrain. The P4 INFIL-Tracker and P4 Rain-mX monitoring system reports the infiltration rate and the volume of captured stormwater runoff in order to accurately document infiltration and guide maintenance requirements.

There are several characteristics that distinguish PaveDrain from traditional permeable pavers.

First, PaveDrain blocks are big blocks (12” x 12” x 5.56”) that each weigh 50 pounds and are manufactured in a variety of colors. Each block has an arched internal storage chamber that collects stormwater runoff.

Additionally, the joints in between PaveDrain blocks are left open. Most permeable paver joints, on the other hand, are filled with aggregate. The open joints allow water to infiltrate quickly. If the joints become clogged with debris, a vacuum truck can clean out the build-up and restore the joints to nearly new form. Smaller projects can be cleaned out with an air compressor and wand attachment.

Finally, PaveDrain has a HS-25 load rating and a compressive strength of 4,000 psi. This means it can withstand heavy loads like fire trucks and some equipment.

GEOPAVE® Gravel Paver

This aggregate paving system is manufactured by Presto Geosystems, a leading provider of innovative geosynthetic and drainage products.

If you’re specifying GEOPAVE for permeable parking lots, add snap delineators for high visibility parking indicators.

Gravel filled porous pavers offers excellent stormwater infiltration which can result in earning LEED credits.  

GEOBLOCK® Grass Porous Pavers

GEOBLOCK is very similar to the GEOPAVE. Both products are manufactured by Presto Geosystems, snap together for easy install and are made of recycled polyethylene.

Units of GEOBLOCK Grass Pavers ship in stackable pallets with 92 units per pallet. Palletized products are easier to ship and easier to store.

GEOBLOCK grass pavers also require 2 -3 times less base than other drivable grass products. The recommended engineered base is 30% topsoil and 70% aggregate. When successfully installed and vegetated, drivable grass should be achieved in about 2 to 3 weeks.

Geocell

Geocell is a cellular confinement system that is specified for many purposes including permeable paving.

Our Geocell is manufactured from HDPE. This permeable paving system design, however, is much more flexible than the aforementioned products.

Geocell ships in panels of flexible strips that you pull apart to expand during installation. The panels are secured with ATRA Keys,  ATRA Speed Stakes or steel stakes with ATRA Clips. Once the cellular confinement system is installed, fill the cells with soil, stone, sand, concrete or grass.

Get Pricing and More Information

If you need further information or would like to request pricing for any of these products, please contact our sales team. 

See Permeable Paving Projects

District 54 Apartments

BluFin Marina

The Festival

Lake Anna Home