We just received the latest copy of Interlocking Concrete Pavement magazine and while it lacks the sexiness and pictures of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, there is a great article about permeable pavements!

Interlocking Concrete Pavement magazine is put out by, you guess it, the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and offers information on the concrete paver industry. Now, in case you aren't sure what permeable pavements are, they are any material used in a roadway, driveway, sidewalk or patio that allows water to infiltrate or drain through it. Permeable pavements have been in use in Europe since the late 1980's and in the US since 1992. Permeable pavement is an excellent choice for stormwater management and helping to reduce run-off. Think of it this way...if there were more permeable pavements used in our subdivisions and roadways, there would be less land dedicated to detention/retention ponds, our lakes and streams wouldn't be as contaminated from surface run-off, and downstream erosion and sedimentation would be reduced!

The article compares three types of permeable pavement systems; permeable interlocking concrete pavers, permeable concrete and permeable asphalt. What? Yes, there is concrete and asphalt that allow water to move through it! Check out the article(pdf format) and consider permeable pavement for your next project.