Quantifying Benefits of Permeable Pavement on Surface Runoff, An Agent-Based-Model with NetLogo

Abstract

Permeable pavements benefits are large and well-studied all over the world by the scientific community however they are still not yet frequently used in urban projects. In order to explore permeable pavement benefits an Agent-Based-Model (ABM) was built. The model addresses the impact of the soil occupation of an urban catchment on its hydrological response. Specifically, it aims at quantifying the impacts of permeable pavement on runoff. ABM allows for exploring global phenomena by the integration of local processes. In this model, a simple micro-scale rule (move to the adjacent cell with the lowest piezometric level) performed by all the agents Drops gives a very relevant flow simulation at catchment-scale. This conceptual model is GIS-based and does not require important hydraulic data. Results show that turning 2.5% of the impervious cover into permeable pavements can reduce the runoff by 8.3%. Model exploration highlights where and in which proportion permeable pavements should be used to be the most efficient.