Recent developments in mitigating clogging in permeable pavements: a state-of-the-art review

Permeable pavements offer numerous benefits, including stormwater management, pollutant removal, groundwater recharge, noise reduction, enhanced wet-weather road safety, and mitigation of urban heat island effects. However, clogging can significantly compromise their functionality by filling the internal pores with accumulated debris. This paper provides a state-of-the-art review of strategies to mitigate clogging in permeable pavements, such as porous asphalt, pervious concrete, and permeable interlocking concrete, with a focus on design, construction, and maintenance practices. A systematic search of 191 publications from the Scopus database (2017-2024) revealed a notable increase in research on clogging in permeable pavements, peaking at 38 publications in 2023, primarily focused on pervious concrete and porous asphalt. The results identified key mitigation strategies, including optimizing particle-to-pore size ratios and selecting appropriate binders and aggregates during the design phase. Several innovative designs to improve clogging resistance, such as the use of self-cleaning materials and novel pore-straight channel permeable concrete, have emerged. In the construction phase, ensuring proper compaction and adequate curing times, alongside preventing binder drain-down, were emphasized. During maintenance, effective cleaning methods, tailored maintenance schedules, and sediment control are critical for clogging mitigation. Innovative cleaning methods, such as using vibration, and advanced clogging detection instrumentation were also discussed. Finally, this study highlights the need for future research, including enhancing design, construction, and maintenance practices for permeable pavements, specifically targeting clogging prevention.