Infiltration Capacity Assessment of Urban Pavements Using the LCS Permeameter and the CP Infiltrometer

This paper presents the Cantabrian portable infiltrometer (CP infiltrometer), a specially designed device based on rainfall simulation for the assessment of the infiltration capacity of all types of urban pavements. Several pervious and impervious surfaces were tested with the LCS permeameter, an existing infiltration test based on the use of a column of water, and the CP Infiltrometer, simulating rain intensities with return periods of 10, 50, and 500 years and 5min duration. The discussion of the results indicates that the CP infiltrometer could be used successfully to identify different levels of infiltration capacity and to assess the correct performance of pervious surfaces on which design, construction, and maintenance decisions are based.