Richard H. Fulton Complex
Previous Asphalt Parking Lot Gets a Permeable Interlocking Concrete Paver Upgrade
Every Project Starts with a Purpose
In 2005, as Nashville sought a parking solution for the Richard H. Fulton Complex Metro Water Service Fulton campus, the city looked for a pavement system with low-impact benefits to meet new local stormwater requirements under the EPA and the Clean Water Act. Like many municipalities across the country, the primary goal was sustainability.
As part of a low-impact design system, Nashville installed a 52,000-square-foot porous asphalt parking lot intended to reduce stormwater runoff through infiltration. Water was designed to pass through the pavement and into bioretention islands and swales before entering the traditional stormwater system.
An underdrain configuration of pipes was installed to direct water to the bioretention islands and swales. Over time, however, the porous asphalt proved unable to withstand traffic loads and required ongoing maintenance to keep the pores free of debris and functioning properly.
Due to frequent sweeping and maintenance, the asphalt surface eroded, ultimately creating unsafe walking conditions. As a result, the city needed to replace the porous asphalt parking lot with a long-term, sustainable solution that could effectively manage stormwater runoff and be implemented quickly.
The Solution
Solving for Style, Function, and Durability
The solution was a permeable interlocking concrete paver (PICP) makeover from Belgard®. In 2012, the City of Nashville elected to replace the failing porous asphalt with Belgard permeable interlocking concrete pavers, basing the decision on PICP’s strength, durability, superior functionality and lower lifetime maintenance. One such example was Gateway Village, a nearby 92,000-square-foot mixed-use parking lot in Murfreesboro, which demonstrated strong performance in the two years following installation.
Working with a grant from the City of Murfreesboro, the Concrete Industry Management program at Middle Tennessee State University studied water quality and quantity using an ISCO sampler at the site for two years. During that period, 41 inches of rain, totaling 2.3 million gallons of water, fell on the site, with no water discharge observed at the outlet located at the back of the site. All water from rooftops and parking surfaces infiltrated into the soil and replenished the groundwater aquifer system. With this case study and several other successful regional projects, the City of Nashville had a clear path toward a long-term solution.
Permeable interlocking concrete pavers also offered short-term benefits during construction. Half of the parking area needed to remain open to serve the surrounding government offices.
Contractor Cumberland Valley Construction and installer Aqua Paving Construction began by demolishing and removing the existing four to five inches of porous asphalt. The site was regraded to bring the existing #57 open-graded aggregate to a compacted elevation of minus five inches. The project team placed and screeded #8 washed chips as a setting bed to support the 80mm (3-inch) thick concrete permeable pavers.
Belgard Aqua Bric Type 4 permeable pavers were mechanically installed in 12-square-foot layers following the final laying pattern. The pavers were saw-cut at the edges as needed, compacted using a 5,000-pound plate compactor, and finished by sweeping washed quarter-inch chips into the joints.
Although the job was estimated to take six weeks, mechanical installation reduced the schedule by two weeks. Completed areas were immediately available for parking the next day, as no curing time is required for PICP systems.
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The Result
A Lasting Impression:
The Final Transformation
In addition to keeping the parking lot open throughout the renovation, the project team realized additional efficiencies during installation. The existing No. 57 stone base required very little re-leveling, and both the bioswales and original storage capacity were in good condition, eliminating the need for replacement or reconstruction.
These factors helped streamline construction while preserving the site’s original stormwater infrastructure, reinforcing the long-term value of the solution.
Following installation, the City of Nashville partnered with the local fire department to demonstrate the infiltration capabilities of the new permeable paver parking lot. Thousands of gallons of water were released in a controlled area to showcase infiltration rates. The demonstration confirmed that permeable pavers efficiently reintroduce rainwater into the ground, reducing stormwater runoff entering the Cumberland River and limiting the transport of contaminants and pollutants.
The fire department engine also illustrated the structural strength of the paved surface, reinforcing that the concrete pavers deliver both durability and aesthetic value. Permeable interlocking concrete pavers ultimately provided the City of Nashville with a post-construction Best Management Practice that reflects its commitment to sustainability, safety, and long-term performance.
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