Doug Holmes at Penn State has a great story about using permeable asphalt surface lots:
I would strongly suggest some investigation before putting in such a surface. Several years ago, we went through considerable expense to pave a couple hundred space parking lot with permeable asphalt. Apparently, either the engineers did not do all their homework, or someone did not properly prepare the surface or apply the asphalt. I am not sure where the finger pointing stopped on that one.
In any event, a few months after it opened, it opened. I mean, we developed a sinkhole about 75 feet across and about 40 to 50 feet deep in a matter of hours. Luckily it happened at an oddball time and there were no pedestrians or vehicles on the affected area. It swallowed up a couple islands and two lamp posts before we got it plugged.
It appears that the permeable surface funneled all the water through one channel which ate through a relatively thin layer of limestone and, voila, instant Acme hole. Old Wile would have been proud.
For more great stories and a lot of good parking info, sign up for Doug’s CParkL List Server…
JVH
