What do you recommend for a bike path treatment in a floodplain?

[CassieNichols]

Does anyone have information on bike path treatment within a floodplain? The client is interested in using the permeable interlocking grid systems – has anyone had success with using projects like True Grid? Would porous concrete be a better choice?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Tyson Carroll]

What is around the bike path? Planting area, pavement, AC? Who is the project for public or private? Is the path intended to meander or is it a straight shot? What is the average rainfall per year in the area? Is it intended for mikes only or will emergency access or maintenance vehicles need to use it potentially?

[Dave McCorquodale]

While I don’t have direct experience with porous concrete, I believe it has to be cleaned every so often (annually?) to essentially vacuum the sediments out or porosity diminishes over time.  I wonder if occasional flooding would deposit fine sediments that would become trapped and negate the value of having permeable concrete, resulting in higher life cycle costs than a grid system.  Again, no direct knowledge on this; just thinking out loud…

Dave

[Tosh K]

there’s a porous rubber (usually recycled tires) product, it’s installed over a gravel base.  If wash out is a risk, it’s probably not great (but can be easily replaced).  As Dave noted, all porous materials will lose their permeability with silt deposits, but they’ll be fine as a surface.

[nca]

Do you really need to use pervious materials? in a flood plain? or is it a flood way? 

[Author]

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