Examination of Empirical Evidence and Refining Maintenance Techniques for GI

摘要

The use of green infrastructure (GI) to mitigate the effects of increasing rate of urbanization has not been without challenges. Determining the clogging patterns and finding the issues with clogging will enable the researchers to address some of these challenges. Two GI stormwater control measures (SCMs) were constructed in Louisville, KY, utilizing permeable pavers in December 2011. Using empirical methods for maintenance, one paver strip has been maintained quarterly and the other only when requested. Using sweeper truck as the first method and air pressure tools as the second method, the clogging material was recovered and analyzed for particle size distribution and organic content. Characteristics of clogging material are used to provide refinement to the maintenance method, frequency for remedial methods. By dividing each SCM into equal small segments, the material collected using the air pressure maintenance provides a better description of the behavior of the SCM. With the more frequent maintenance, fines are mostly trapped up gradient and larger particles with majority of organics are trapped down gradient. The shorter SCM with more service time has shown that the penetration of fines is almost equal all segments. Finally, the quarterly maintenance plan is found more suitable than the other.