Permeable pavers answer affluent village’s Green Streets call

Sources: Village of Kenilworth, Ill.; CP staff

A wealthy northern Illinois community along Lake Michigan recently concluded a two-phase, “green infrastructure” program, installing 83,000 square feet of permeable interlocking concrete pavers (PICP) on six 625- to 676-ft. stretches of three streets, 18- to 22-ft. wide. After observing the performance of Green Streets Phase I permeable asphalt pavements, the Village of Kenilworth upgraded to PICP for Phase II. Supply and installation contracts were awarded to Unilock Chicago Inc. of Aurora, Ill. and LPS Pavement Co. of Oswego, Ill.

Leaving nothing to chance with future rain events, the Kenilworth Public Works Department approved a subbase with up to 24 inches of limestone on geotextile to support the Uni-Optiloc PICPs. LPS crews made short work of the Leicester, Raleigh and Warwick Road stretches with mechanical installation equipment.

The project adds to a roster of PICP-anchored green infrastructure investments by cities and towns across the U.S., many informed by the ASCE/TD&I/ICPI 68-18 Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement standard. The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management set a PICP benchmark in 2014-15 with a four-mile installation on flood-prone streets in the Mechanicsville, Peoplestown and Summerhill neighborhoods. A report on the Kenilworth Green Streets Phase II is posted here.