Research: Quantitative Assessment of Permeable Pavement Efficacy in Sponge-City Urban F...

Research question: How effective are permeable pavements, integrated within sponge-city designs, in reducing urban flood risk under varying storm intensities and urban configurations?

Urban flooding has become a critical challenge for cities worldwide due to climate change and increasing impervious surface areas. Sponge-city concepts, promoting green infrastructure and water-sensitive urban design, have emerged as promising approaches to enhance urban resilience by increasing infiltration and storage capacities.

Despite widespread adoption, there is a lack of systematic, quantitative evaluation of permeable pavement performance when deployed at scale in complex urban environments and under different rainfall scenarios. Existing studies often focus on small-scale pilot projects or lack integration with city-wide flood modeling.

This project will conduct a comprehensive literature review, develop hydrological models (using SWMM or HEC-HMS), and analyze real-world rainfall and urban layout data to quantify the effectiveness of permeable pavements within sponge-city districts. The research will simulate different storm events and urban configurations, validate findings against case studies (e.g., Shanghai, Rotterdam), and identify optimal deployment strategies.

The findings will provide actionable insights for civil engineers and city planners, supporting evidence-based design and policy for resilient, low-impact urban drainage systems that mitigate flood risk and advance sustainable urban development.