ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF PERMEABLE PAVEMENT IN PALESTINE

Abstract

Permeable pavement is considered one of the sustainable management options for roadway networks, which mitigates a number of problems associated with stormwater, ground water pollution, and traffic safety. In this study, the economic feasibility, vehicle operation, and environmental implications of implementing permeable pavement in Nablus, Palestine have been determined by selecting the local roadways that satisfy the permeable pavement requirement, such as low traffic volume, grade less than 5%, speed limit up to 50 km/h, and subgrade with good permeability. The total costs of construction and maintenance for both conventional asphalt and permeable pavement have also been compared based on the life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). Finally, the environmental implications such as the expected increase in the amount of ground water and the reduction in water pollutants have been investigated. The results of the analysis show that the permeable pavement is applicable for the local roadways that have satisfied the requirements, which are 61 roadways. Furthermore, it could lead to an annual significant increase in ground water by 107,404.7 m3 and slightly reduce the cost of construction and maintenance by up to 1,912,000 ILS during its life period compared to conventional asphalt pavement. Moreover, applying porous asphalt could enhance vehicular traffic safety by improving skid resistance.