Abstract: The significance of researches on the clogging mechanism and performance improvement was expounded for typical infiltration facilities of sponge city, such as well, tube, and pond. Factors of clogging were classified as three kinds: clogging material properties, hydrodynamic conditions and filter properties. In this article, the advances of research on clogging mechanism were summarized and discussed in terms of these three kinds of factors. The drawbacks which need to be overcome by further studies were summarized: the characteristics of clogging material is unclear, the simulation of hydrodynamic condition is non-holistic, studies on real filter structures, intermittent operation and time effects are inadequate, understandings of the clogging mechanism are inconsistent, attention on new filter structures and filter maintenance is insufficient, and prototype and in situ studies are in lack. According to the status of sponge city construction in China, it is urgent to monitor the storm water for typical urban areas, especially the first storm water after a long dry period. On the basis of research on similar problems, the approaches of improving the performance of infiltration facilities were analyzed. It was proposed that replaceable filters would be a practical solution to break through clogging problem and to promote the application of infiltration facilities and would guarantee the long-term efficiency of sponge city construction.

Key words: sponge city, clogging, suspended substance, hydrodynamic conditions, geotextile, sand and gravel filter, replaceable filter