Assessing the effectiveness of permeable pavements as a solution to surface water run-offs in urban areas in Uganda.

Abstract

Assessing the effectiveness of permeable pavements in solving the surface water run-off problem in urban areas in Uganda will help establish how much water is infiltrated into the ground by permeable pavements after intense rainfall periods. It will also help to establish in what conditions the permeable pavements can be used in the Ugandan setting. The research will also help establish some of the design parameters for permeable pavements for Uganda. The information obtained through carrying out this research could be adopted and used as a solution to the flooding problem in urban areas in Uganda.The information obtained from the research can also be used to ascertain the potential for harvesting the storm water and putting it to good use. The research was carried out through a series of laboratory tests and use of computer simulation most especially the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). The research revealed that permeable pavements meet the structural design requirements for low traffic volume areas. The computer simulation revealed that permeable pavements have the potential to reduce the surface run-off by up to 23.86%. It was also observed from carrying out the simulations, that permeable pavements could potentially reduce on the flooding in the drains by up to 8.21%. Basing on the established contributions and benefits of the permeable pavements, they ought to be considered as a potential solution to the persistent flooding problem in urban areas in Uganda that arises due to the large volume of surface run-off. The pavements also need to be considered as one of the key parameters to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations.