Major Goals and Objectives

One of the significant issues with urbanization and a rapidly changing climate is an increase in storm-runoff and the speed of stormwater reaching the existing drainage system. The drainage system is overburdened by the amount of flows during rainfall causing flash floods. Also, the untreated runoff is released to local water-bodies. The pollutants in urban runoff can cause eutrophication that severely affects the aquatic life and creates an imbalance in the eco-system. The rationale for this research is to confront this global issue through a local solution.

The motivations for this study are 1) To develop a sustainable urban drainage system through purifying parking lots and roofs. 2) To develop a design procedure as well as materials for constructing purifying parking lots or roofs. 3) To collaborate with construction firms and stakeholders in transforming the research into practice. 4) To promote the economic, social, and environment rewards due to the sustainable drainage system to all beneficiary’s like local community, retail and commercial firms in the southern Lake Michigan area.

Accomplishments / Benefits

Story: https://iiseagrant.org/iisg-faculty-scholars-experiment-with-sustainable-concrete-solutions/

Publication: Permeable low-density cellular concrete (PLDCC) as a replacement for aggregate layers in permeable parking lots