Sustainable parking design: Hydrocarbon treatment with engineered solution
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Overview
The Vouillé carpooling area project, located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France near the junction of the DR948 and exit 32 of the A10 motorway, exemplifies the intersection of sustainable infrastructure and environmental protection.
Developed to meet the growing mobility needs of local residents, the facility supports environmentally conscious commuting by providing a strategically positioned carpooling hub. By encouraging shared transport for daily commutes, the project aims to reduce both traffic congestion and carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to a more sustainable and community-oriented approach to regional mobility.
To support this goal, the site was equipped with approximately forty permeable parking bays, along with a dedicated drop-off zone for buses, bicycle access, and a parking area for two-wheeled vehicles.
A critical aspect of the project was the implementation of a robust stormwater management and hydrocarbon mitigation strategy. The inclusion of OSMORIA® Indigreen®, a high-performance depolluting aquatextile, beneath the limestone permeable pavement system, plays a key role in both protecting the subsoil and ensuring long-term operational safety of the facility.
Challenge
The primary challenge of this project lay in reconciling two critical priorities: enabling increased carpooling capacity through the construction of a semi-urban parking area and protecting the underlying soil and groundwater from the threat of hydrocarbon contamination. This risk arises from both diffuse sources such as minor, chronic oil leaks from vehicles (notably PAHs – polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and from more acute, accidental spills including illicit oil dumping.
As the facility is located adjacent to a regional cycling route and within a catchment area susceptible to heavy rainfalls, it was crucial that the design avoided impervious surfaces that could exacerbate stormwater runoff. The incorporation of permeable pavements was identified early in the design phase as a necessary feature to promote infiltration.
However, permeable coatings without additional treatment solutions offer little protection against organic pollutants such as hydrocarbons, which can bind to soil particles and disrupt microbial ecosystems, or worse, leach into aquifers.
ASF (Autoroutes du Sud de la France), the project sponsor, required a simple, effective, and cost-effective lifecycle stormwater treatment solution.
Solution
The project team selected OSMORIA Indigreen – a high-performance aquatextile engineered to deliver both advanced pollutant treatment capabilities and mechanical reinforcement.
What sets the aquatextile apart is its ability to optimize the fixation and biodegradation of hydrocarbons and PAHs. Through an irreversible adsorption mechanism, the aquatextile captures more than 99.5% of hydrocarbons that come into contact with it. Unlike conventional absorptive materials, the textile’s matrix releases essential natural nutrients that attract and support native soil microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. These microorganisms multiply and accelerate pollutant breakdown, delivering consistent performance across diverse environmental conditions.
From a hydrodynamic perspective, its permeability exceeds 10.10-2 m/s, allowing water to pass through instantly without pooling – which is higher than the permeability of most soils.
Mechanically, OSMORIA Indigreen offers exceptional strength with a tensile resistance of ≥ 20 kN/m, aligning with the demands of Class 6 geotextiles used in heavily trafficked infrastructure. Its robust structure ensures durability under cyclic loading and rutting from parked vehicles, maintaining subgrade stability and performance over time.
This « at source » treatment method significantly reduces construction and maintenance costs, estimated at under 2€ per parking space per year, making it an economically sustainable model for municipal and regional authorities.
As awareness around urban diffuse pollution grows and European directives tighten environmental thresholds, depolluting textile such as OSMORIA Indigreen offer a proactive compliance pathway.
Furthermore, the visible use of green infrastructure technologies enhances the project’s public perception, reinforcing the commitment of ASF and regional planners to responsible development.
