Permeable pavement monitoring system

A paved system comprising:

• a water drainage structure;
• a rigid permeable surface supported above the drainage structure to permit water to flow from the surface into the structure;
• a plurality of water-level sensors located at respective locations within the drainage structure to generate respective water-level data representative of the water-level at the respective locations, the plurality of water-level sensors including a first water-level sensor associated with a first location, of the respective locations, in the rigid permeable surface and a second water-level sensor associated with a second location, of the respective locations, in the rigid permeable surface different than the first location;
• a memory;
• a data processor communicatively coupled to the first and second water-level sensors and the memory, the data processor receiving first water-level data sampled from the first sensor and second water-level data from the second sensor at a plurality of times t0 to tn, the data processor generating water-level rate change data for each water-level sensor in reference to times t1 to tn, and comparing water-level rate changes from all sensors from time t1 to tn and identifying the water-level sensors which have relative water-level rate changes which slow relative to the water-level rate changes of the other of the sensors from time t1 to tn, and the data processor determining one or more locations of reduced permeability in the rigid permeable surface based on analyzing the water-level rate change data, wherein the data processor determining the one or more locations of reduced permeability in the rigid permeable surface is based at least in part on the first water-level sensor being located at the first location and the second water-level sensor being located at the second location.

A method for determining debris accumulation at locations on a permeable surface of the type supported above a drainage structure situated below the permeable surface, the method comprising:

• sensing the water-levels at a plurality of predetermined locations within the drainage structure at each of a plurality of times t0 to tn, wherein the water-levels are resultant from water flowing through water flow openings in a permeable pavement surface, wherein the sensing the water-levels is performed at least in part by a plurality of water-level sensors;
• determining the rate of water-level change at each of the locations based upon the water-level change for the respective locations;
• comparing the rates of water-level changes and determining the locations at which the relative rate of water-level change slows in reference to the water-level change of the other sensors;
• and
• determining a location of reduced permeability in the permeable pavement surface based upon the location at which relative water-level change slows, and further based at least in part on the first water-level sensor being located at the first location and the second water-level sensor being located at the second location.