Hong Kong International Airport represents the largest single airfield installation of interlocking concrete pavements. Since most of the airport is on reclaimed land, anticipated settlement required that flexible asphalt pavement be used instead of rigid concrete for runways. Concrete pavers also provide a more fuel-resistant surface than asphalt.

When compared to runoff from an adjoining asphalt lot, permeable pavement exfiltrate contains significantly lower concentrations of phosphorous and zinc, as well as reductions in total nitrogen, and thus provides for better water quality. To further test various permeable pavement designs, a parking lot consisting of four different types of permeable pavements and standard asphalt was constructed in Kinston, NC. The attached PDF evaluates this case study and the water quality improvement as a result of PICP.

This lesson introduces and then tests the viewer on the variables that must be considered when using segmental pavements to support pedestrian and vehicular loads on municipal streets. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the following four variables are critical to consider:

An ESAL is a standard unit that is used to measure the amount of damage vehicles inflict on a surface. 1 ESAL = the impact from a single 18,000-lb axle load. The damage to a pavement caused by one pass of a large tractor-trailer in exponentially greater than that caused by a two door sedan.

It takes roughly 20,000 passes of the sedan to cause the same amount of same amount of damage as one pass of a tractor-trailer. In these scenarios, the design ESALs will be predetermined. This is usually based on the expected traffic mix. Reference ASCE and ICPI Tech Spec 4 to calculate the appropriate ESAL rating to a design.

Aggregate bases stabilized with asphalt or cement are recommended under very heavy loads, and over weak or saturated soil subgrades. These are sometimes used when adequate aggregates are not available or when a stabilized base is more economical than unstabilized aggregate. Poor subgrade should be avoided if possible, but when it is necessary to build over weak soils there are several methods available to improve subgrade performance.

Soil characteristics play a major factor in the design of pavements. It is important to accurately assess the type of soil on a site. Soils are classified by the Unified Soils Classification method  (ASTM D2487, 2006a). Soils that have a course grain and good drainage are generally stronger than fine grained soils with poor drainage. For example a gravel soil with good drainage is significantly stronger than a clay soil with poor drainage.

Remember that when choosing a paver it is always important to consider the surrounding environment. Pavers that are a few shades lighter than any building or house on the property won't compete for attention. Brick-colored pavers add a warmth to wood or stone buildings, and gray-toned pavers are often paired with brick buildings to minimize over matching. Monotony of color can be broken up by using a blended-paver or combining two types of pavers. Whatever design effect is desired it can potentially  be achieved through the use of paver color.

Manufacturers of ICP are usually within a 500 mile radius of the site which can reduce the environmental costs of transportation.

Molds and pigments vary by region and factory.

Local sourcing allows for the use of aggregates from local sources.

This study is focused on the implementation of interlocking pavers in marshy roads and high groundwater table terrain. Permeable interlocking concrete pavers were used to combat intrusion of underground/saline water for the road of case study (Akin-Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos). Hydrogeologic data, i.e., groundwater level information for marshy roads terrain including the area of case study was obtained in form of investigation hole/borehole data. Different scientific tests and researches put together show the effectiveness and durability of the modified exfiltration system type of permeable pavement for high ground water table terrain. 

The successful transferal of any vertical load through a segmental paved area requires the incorporation of three principles. These principles must be utilized when installing open grid as well as solid interlocking pavers. It is also important to note that all three principles are equally important.

When it comes to permeable paver design, several factors go into making a functional system.  One must size the system appropriately taking rainfall, infiltration rates, available area, void space, layer depth, and time all into consideration.  This lesson will introduce you to all those critical factors in these three lesson components:

This learning animation walks you through many of the considerations for designing a ICP system.  Topics range from rainfall events, geographic range, soils, and substrates.  After completing the learning section, an interactive site allows your to choose different combinations of parking surface areas and base depth to hold a particular rain event. 
​(Animation currently being updated for 2018 - check back later!)

The Principle of Interlock:
Interlock is the inability of a paver to move independently from its neighbors. It is critical to the structural performance of interlocking concrete pavement. When considering design and construction, three types of interlock must be achieved: vertical, rotational, and horizontal interlock. These are illustrated in Figure 1.

This project represents part two of the Implementation Studio Section.  The student will achieve the following goals and objectives:
• Develop and refine your ability to conceptualize, graphically construct, and properly coordinate construction documents that clearly communicate the desired three-dimensional look, feel, and function of your final design.
• Achieve technical accuracy and the desired aesthetic outcome(s) of each detail condition.
To these ends, the study of one (1) custom interlocking concrete paving detail will be developed through an in-depth material and constructability analysis conducted via a 1-to-1 mock-up assembly vignette as outlined in the implementation sequence’s last studio project.

Nashville, Tennessee is encouraging permeable pavement though municipal water laws. 

Learn about the materials that go into making a paver and how locally sourced materials can require less energy to manufacture. 

This PDF highlights how interlocking pavements were able to put soldiers back to work rebuilding cities. 

This PDF highlights how the increasing use of the automobile as well as the standardization of paving units began to revolutionize the way landscape were created. 

Learn how pavers continued to evolve and adapt to a changing societal needs. The invention of the cars and steam engines demand new forms of interlocking pavement. 

Use this PDF to understanding how economic systems can impact infrastructural needs through the lens of medieval pavement. 

Interlocking pavements are a very old technology. In this PDF explore how ancient Pavers were used by the Romans to conquer the world. The techniques that were used in antiquity have lasted the test of time.