Managing storm water with porous or dense-graded hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements is attracting attention because of the role it can play in sustainable site design and storm water management. This technology is of interest to public works officials, consultants, engineers, land developers, contractors, environmental engineers, and others with an interest in minimizing the impact of development on the environment.

The concept is fairly new in Minnesota, however this design has been used successfully since the 1970s in the United States and Europe. This pavement structure has been used in various climate conditions and can provide many benefits including: storm water runoff control, groundwater recharge, reduction of drainage structures needed to comply with storm water regulations, reduction of right-of-way for retention ponds, reduction of curb and gutter, and increased skid resistance and safety.

The most common locations for use include parking lots and low volume roads, and in high activity recreational areas like basketball and tennis courts or playground lots. This paper discusses the general design and application of storm water HMA pavements for successful use of the concept, and recent projects in Minnesota.

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Managing Storm Water with Hot-Mix Asphalt Pavements