Jose Santinho Faisca[28], Jose Baena, Susanne Baltzer, Beata Gajewska, Antero Nousiainen, Ake Hermansson, SigurOur Erlingsson, Mihael Brencic and Andrew Dawson
Abstract This chapter sets out the requirements, possible problems concerning surface and subsurface water flow for pavements and offers some technical solutions to control these waters. It presents the general principles for the design and choice of a drainage system, the measures to adopt during construction and maintenance phases and considers the control of surface and subsurface water contamination, in order to minimize the possible detrimental effect to existing aquifers and habitats. This is achieved by a thorough review of available drainage measures, including many illustrations.
Keywords Road drainage ■ sub-soil drainage ■ filter criteria ■ drainage layers ■ trenches
The objective of this chapter is to set out the requirements, possible problems and to give some technical solutions to the control of surface and subsurface water flow for pavements.
The proper management of a pavement is needed to maintain the strength of the road structure, to provide long service life, safe traffic conditions and the environmentally acceptable treatment of pavement water. The increase of moisture in the pavement and in the subsoil or in the pavement foundation can decrease the bearing capacity (as discussed in Chapter 8) and stability, and contributes to physical and chemical phenomena, which modify the pavement’s structure and further may increase erosion, expansion, dilution, cracking, risk of collapse and frost damage (Hall & Correa, 2003).
This chapter presents the general principles for the design and choice of a drainage system, the measures to adopt during construction and maintenance phases, and considers the control of surface and subsurface water contamination, in order to
minimise the possible detrimental effect to existing aquifers and habitats. In particular, the aim should be to guide excess water out of the higher construction layers in such a way that the water beneath the pavement doesn’t weaken the pavement structure or allow subterranean water to enter the structure.
