Analysis of scenarios resulting from the soil sealing of spaces intended for the circulation and permanence of pedestrians

Abstract

The high soil sealing due to the growth of cities has been causing serious urban problems, such as increased flooding. These consequences drove the development of more sustainable urban drainage techniques that help to mitigate these events. Average 20% of the sealing area of a city is used for pedestrian and vehicle circulation routes, which gives these areas great importance for the occurrence of flood events. The runoff quantifying caused by the pedestrian circulation and permanence spaces (PCPS), in three urban spaces and the creation of scenarios of possibilities and alternatives for materials and design were the goals of this work. Three different spaces were characterized, one within a university campus, a boardwalk and a neighborhood. The types of pavements, maintenance and their contribution to runoff was determined. The results found allowed to conclude that the use of a better quality urban design, mixing paved areas, with large green areas can be a more economical alternative to reduce soil sealing, or when it is impossible to be adapted, draining floors are used which have infiltration levels very close to grassy soil.

Keywords:
Permeable pavements; Runoff; Permanence spaces; Pedestrian circulation