Summer flooding prompts pilot project to curb run-off

The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Physical Plant and Office of Transportation Services are undertaking a pilot project that will hopefully prevent flooding caused by storm water runoff and recharge the water table. The impetus for the project was the July 27 storm that dumped several inches of water on the Madison area in a short period of time and caused serious flooding in several campus buildings, streets and parking lots.

“The university is interested in seeing if this paving technology helps to alleviate some localized rain water runoff or drain backup issues,” says Lance Lunsway, director of Transportation Services. “Environmentally, it allows the water to pass right through the concrete and create natural water infiltration into the soil.”

Today (Sept. 27), a pit approximately 14 feet by 60 feet in width and 6 feet deep is being dug in the middle of Lot 92, located behind the Educational Sciences at 1025 W. Johnson St. On Thursday, Sept. 28, that pit, termed a recharge bed, will be lined with a fabric filter and filled with clean stone that will filter out sediment and clean the water as it passes through.

At 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29, the pit will be paved with a layer of pervious concrete, spread by a giant roller. The concrete will allow storm water to drain through it at about one-half inch per hour. Contractors say that the “watershed-friendly” paving material has been used in Europe for more than a half-century and in the southern U.S. for more than 20 years, but is new to Wisconsin.

“It’s a very thick aggregate mix that allows water penetration without losing the strength of the original concrete design,” says Chris Velie, who supervises small outdoor concrete projects for Physical Plant. “If we can trap the water outside and put it back in the ground, it’s a definite plus for the university and the environment.”

On Sept. 29, the university will host a workshop on pervious concrete paving for 30-40 civil engineers, landscape architects, planners, contractors, public-works officials and others in the building and public infrastructure fields. It will be held in Room 220 of the Educational Sciences Building, starting at 8 a.m., and will include the live paving demonstration in Lot 92 at 1 p.m.

Lunsway can be reached at (608) 265-3200. Velie (pronounced VEE lee) can be contacted at (608) 263-3018 or cell (608) 206-4687. He will be on site for the workshop and paving demonstration.