Sustainable drainage systems in highway drainage

Highways connect people and communities, deliver goods and services and are generally composed of ribbons of impervious surfaces, pipes and concrete conduits. Their two purposes revolve around safety for the drivers using the road, and also longevity of the pavement by removing surface water as quickly as possible. However, their construction and operation is not sustainable, requiring the production of concrete, use of virgin aggregate and provides inadequate treatment of runoff which contaminates the surrounding environment. This chapter covers developments in drainage, which have the potential to enable highway infrastructure to become more sustainable and resilient to change, such as changes to rainfall patterns due to climate change.