Reader's Response with Summary on Porous Asphalt Is King of the Road (Final - 19102020)

 Summary:

In the article “Porous Asphalt Is King of the Road”, (PaveGreen, n.d.) claims that porous asphalt is the best pavement surface. From the construction point of view, they see a need to fight water pollution as it is affecting the rate of climate change on our Earth. Porous asphalt pavement is one way to mitigate water pollution, improve safety, and reduce erosion. What makes porous asphalt different is the design when compared to conventional asphalt. Under the porous pavement is a “recharge bed” built of stones with spaces between them allowing water to flow through. Rainwater sinks through the pavement into the recharge bed and filtered out into the earth. This concept is also used on superhighways for safety purposes as porous asphalt is can reduce water splashes. During winter, it helps to reduce the need for de-icing as porous asphalt is permeable. The writer also mentions that adopting the use of porous asphalt is a more cost-effective solution for going green considering that the cost is similar to conventional asphalt.

Reader’s response:

If someone is implementing asphalt on the road, the construction company should use porous asphalt as their first choice as it can help reduce water pollution by allowing naturally filtered water to return to the environment that can be caused by floods or precipitation, improve safety on the road during storms and it is way more cost-effective as compared to conventional asphalt.

Porous asphalt is a permeable pavement that catches precipitation and surface runoff. Water enters the recharge bed under the pavement and is then filtered and return into the environment. The filtration mechanism in porous asphalt structure consists of different kind of rocks glued together with asphalt cement, an uncompacted subgrade to maximize the infiltration rate of the soil, a geotextile fabric that allows liquid to pass through but prevents migration of fine material and a stone recharge bed that serves as a structural layer and also temporarily stores stormwater as it infiltrates into the soil below (PaveGreen, n.d.).

Porous asphalt also improves the safety of roads during precipitation as rainwater sinks directly into the surface. This reduces splash and spray from the vehicle in front, thus improving visibility and reduces hydroplaning of the tires that in contact with the ground. Porous asphalt can also put a stop to potholes by allowing water to sink when compared to conventional asphalt as it will soak up the asphalt, leading to its failure (Stiffler, 2012).

At times, precipitation is also responsible for deadly and destructive flash flooding (Schumacher, 2017). Flash flood starts rapidly as a result of heavy downpours, particularly on urban road networks. The issue happens when the road surfaces are not permeable, where water will not have a place to go. This is followed by water to building up due to the drainage system exceeding their capacity. On the other hand, debris blockage can also affect the rate of drainage thus forming a flood.

Floods can pose danger to the environment especially when certain hazard content like motor-vehicle oil, antifreeze, and pesticides are released (Floods: Minimizing pollution and health risks, n.d.).  Floods that happen on the road networks are contaminated with toxic chemicals from vehicles and soil. They are then washed into the river, residential and agricultural areas (Freiman, 2014).

To combat this situation, porous asphalt should be used in every possible urban road network instead of the conventional asphalt. Permeable pavements are particularly useful in urban road networks as it catches rainwater and reduces the impacts of urban runoff.

With the environmental benefits that porous asphalt brings, it is also more cost-effective. Without the need for a stormwater runoff system as porous asphalt reduces demand on the storm sewers, it eliminates the need to implement a management solution such as a retention pond. This will help to save cost by using porous asphalt (Mrugacz, 2017).

In conclusion, I think porous asphalt should be used in urban road networks and be implemented in the city areas as well because of its natural filtration mechanism to reduce water pollution, improved safety and cost-effectiveness.

(677 words)

References

Floods: Minimizing pollution and health risks. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.pca.state.mn.us: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/waste/floods-minimizing-pollution-and-health-risks

Freiman, A. (2014, Sep 19). Microbial and chemical contamination during and after flooding in the Ohio River—Kentucky, 2011. Retrieved from NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5629288/

Mrugacz, J. (2017, May 2). Porous Asphalt Paving - Cost And Environmental Benefits. Retrieved from wolfpaving,com: https://www.wolfpaving.com/blog/bid/55431/porous-asphalt-paving-cost-and-environmental-benefits

PaveGreen. (n.d.). Porous Asphalt Is King of the Road. Retrieved from PaveGreen: http://www.pavegreen.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58:king-of-the-road&catid=35:porous-asphalt&Itemid=110

Schumacher, R. S. (2017, March). Naturalhazardscience. Retrieved from Oxford Research Encyclopedias: https://oxfordre.com/naturalhazardscience/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389407.001.0001/acrefore-9780199389407-e-132

Stiffler, L. (2012, Jan 3). THE POROUS ROAD LESS TRAVELED. Retrieved from Sightline Institute: https://www.sightline.org/2012/01/03/the-porous-road-less-traveled/

 

 

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