Product Description

Pavements are the most ubiquitous of all man-made structures, and they have an enormous impact on environmental quality. They are responsible for hydrocarbon pollutants, excess runoff, groundwater decline and the resulting local water shortages, temperature increases in the urban "heat island," and for the ability of trees to extend their roots in order to live. Porous pavements, despite their ability to mitigate these factors, remain the object of much skepticism and controversy.

Written by a renowned expert with 25 years of experience in urban watershed management, Porous Pavements is the first comprehensive "encyclopedia" of porous pavement materials. The book begins with five chapters that lay a foundation for all porous pavement materials and applications, introducing the types of materials and arrangements, their roles in the urban environment, and the principles of pavement structure, hydrology, and rooting space. The following nine chapters outline the costs, maintenance requirements, advantages and disadvantages for different applications, installation methods, sources of standard specifications, and performance levels for each family of porous pavement materials.

Relying on case studies and factual data from observed experience, and containing abundant references for further information, Porous Pavements gives responsible practitioners a complete toolbox from which to select the appropriate material for site-specific conditions, providing a "green" alternative to impervious pavements.

--------------------Features--------------------- · Provides practical expertise and a theoretical basis for site-specific selection and application · Covers all nine families of porous pavement materials in a single reference: porous aggregate, porous turf, plastic geocells, open-jointed blocks, open-celled grids, porous concrete, porous asphalt, "soft" pavement materials, and decks · Complements basic training in site design, site drainage, construction materials, and horticulture with the special concepts involving porous pavement materials · Includes 310 construction diagrams, photographs, and performance charts · Offers the tools necessary for appropriate, informed, beneficial, and successful application of porous pavements

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #868305 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 600 pages

Review
Porous Pavements presents perhaps one of the most complete assessments of what is for many designers a largely misunderstood construction medium…Ferguson has done a commendable job of inventorying the range of techniques and materials available…belongs on the bookshelf of designers, faculty, and students with an interest in the use of alternative paving materials for the conveyance and treatment of stormwater.
-Peter Kumble, ASLA, Landscape Architecture, Vol. 96, No. 6, June 2006

Porous Pavements presents perhaps one of the most complete assessments of what is for many designers a largely misunderstood construction medium…Ferguson has done a commendable job of inventorying the range of techniques and materials available…belongs on the bookshelf of designers, faculty, and students with an interest in the use of alternative paving materials for the conveyance and treatment of stormwater.
-Peter Kumble, ASLA, Landscape Architecture, Vol. 96, No. 6, June 2006

This book is unique as it serves as the inaugural publication written on the subject…a unique aspect of the book is Professor Ferguson's visits and reflections on hundreds of sites of all types of porous pavements…a great resource that affirms the interlocking concrete pavement industry's information about design, construction, and maintenance…highly recommended…[it] will transform the academic landscape by moving porous pavements to the center of training in sustainable site design.
- Interlocking Concrete Pavement Magazine, August 2005

This book is unique as it serves as the inaugural publication written on the subject…a unique aspect of the book is Professor Fergusons visits and reflections on hundreds of sites of all types of porous pavements…a great resource that affirms the interlocking concrete pavement industrys information about design, construction, and maintenance…highly recommended…[it] will transform the academic landscape by moving porous pavements to the center of training in sustainable site design.
- Interlocking Concrete Pavement Magazine, August 2005

This team of landscape architects has produced a groundbreaking reference volume that will be of great value to educators, researchers, and practitioners in landscape design, urban hydrology, and roadway engineering. …A comprehensive volume on the subject was not previously available. Porous Pavements provides convincing arguments through concepts and examples that justify the adoption of porous pavement technology. …The reference volume is well written and illustrated with a large number of photographs and schematics. …The detailed information given on each topic in the book is referenced very well, and each chapter is followed by a long list of up-to-date references.
Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Dec. 2005

This team of landscape architects has produced a groundbreaking reference volume that will be of great value to educators, researchers, and practitioners in landscape design, urban hydrology, and roadway engineering. …A comprehensive volume on the subject was not previously available. Porous Pavements provides convincing arguments through concepts and examples that justify the adoption of porous pavement technology. …The reference volume is well written and illustrated with a large number of photographs and schematics. …The detailed information given on each topic in the book is referenced very well, and each chapter is followed by a long list of up-to-date references.
Journal of the American Water Resources Association, Dec. 2005

Customer Reviews

Defines the current state of the art for pervious surfaces
Bruce Ferguson does a good job of quantifying the current state of the art of pervious surfaces development. This is a largely anecdotal study of current installations, and collection of data from many discrete sources. At $140+, this isn't a bedside reading book, but a necessary addition to your technical library for engineers, stormwater managers, and landscape architects.

Comprehensive book on all aspects of porous pavement
A very comprehensive book on the many aspects of porous pavement. It is very easy to read and includes numerous real world cases. It is not so much a design book with formulas as much as a general reference book.

Porous Pavement
This is the first and only definitive, complete treatment of the subject I have been able to find, written in understandable, useful terms.