Pavement Drainage Structures

In pavements situated in colder climates, the freeze-thaw effect is also quite common and has to be regularly taken into consideration during the pavement design. Generally, there are a number of sources of water in a pavement. These consists of groundwater, water from artesian aquifers, snow melt water, as well as precipitation coming from the surface through joints and cracks. Typical drainage structures in roadways can be divided into surface and subsurface drainage. These structures are provided for collection of water and/or conveyance and discharge. For surface drainage, pavements are provided with slopes to facilitate the quick conveyance of water to side drains or ditches, and hence to minimize the amount of time the water is present on the travelled lanes. Once the water reaches the side of the pavements, it enters a ditch or an inlet, which lets it fall to a storm drainage system, consisting of an open or a closed channel, which runs longitudinally along the pavement.