Pervious concrete -- a mix of coarse aggregate, cement, water, and little to no sand -- creates a porous, open-celled structure that allows rainwater to filter through into the ground. This concrete mix is becoming increasingly popular as the choice mix in building parking lots and ramps in Florida and California, where frequent storms are heavy and runoff can pose an environmental hazard.
The benefits of the drainage allowed by pervious concrete are obvious. It eliminates or reduces stormwater runoff; eliminates the need for detention ponds; replenishes water tables and aquifers; reduces demands on sewer systems; and minimizes flash flooding and standing water. It also cools and filters stormwater before it enters streams and mitigates surface pollutants. The use of pervious concrete also allows for more efficient land development by eliminating the need for other costlier and more space-consuming stormwater management practices.
If not already on board, contractors who build parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, recreational trails, and retaining walls better get up to speed on it and quick.
Interest in pervious concrete continues to grow in the Midwest as specifiers learn more about its properties and benefits. ""I get at least two or three calls every week on potential pervious concrete projects,"" said John Cunningham of the Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association a little more than a year after the porous mix debuted with initial demonstration projects in the four states. New Michigan Concrete Association Chairman Looks AheadMichigan Contractor and Builder -- 04/16/2007
The addition of a staff member devoted to promoting concrete parking lots to commercial and municipal establishments throughout Michigan should generate an increase in concrete parking lots as well as more business for our members. As part of this promotion, MCA will be placing special emphasis on the use of pervious concrete for parking lots. Pervious Concrete for Vegas Condo drivewaysRocky Mountain Construction -- 04/16/2007
While bright lights, casinos and fabulous hotels come to mind when you hear the name ""Las Vegas,"" pervious concrete probably does not. This zero slump concrete mix is making its debut in the desert — on the Las Vegas Strip at the MGM Residence Towers. Concrete DesignWestern Builder -- 08/17/2006
Pervious concrete has become a key construction material to control storm water run-off. However, because pervious systems must be designed to simultaneously meet several goals related to the site's function and environmental impact, detailed hydrologic analysis it vital. Pervious Concrete PlacementConstruction Digest -- 07/24/2006
Louisville, Ky.-area architects, engineers, developers, and contractors found out just how environmentally important a special type of concrete can be when a pervious concrete parking area was installed at the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana's Program & Learning Center on June 13. Pervious ConcreteMidwest Contractor -- 06/26/2006
It was a small project, just 50 cubic yards installed April 18 as part of a parking lot at the new North Corridor Junior High School in North Liberty, Iowa. But the Iowa Ready Mixed Concrete Association's demonstration of pervious concrete provided more than 70 attendees with their first look at a product that could have big ramifications on how certain structures are constructed. Pervious Concrete Is EconomicalMichigan Contractor and Builder -- 06/17/2006
A new type of concrete that is now being introduced in Michigan promises to solve the storm water runoff problem while saving developers money. Rather than building parking lots and walkways with conventional concrete or asphalt, commercial developers and builders in other parts of the country have been switching to pervious concrete. Concrete Is Environmentally FriendlyMichigan Contractor and Builder -- 05/06/2006
Concrete is as old as the Romans, yet it's as current as today's concerns about saving energy, helping the environment The increasing use of pervious concrete is helping to preserve water resources by capturing rainwater and allowing it to percolate into the underlying soil. ""Green"" Concrete At SouthfaceDixie Contractor -- 12/19/2005
In Atlanta, construction is well under way at the Southface Eco Office. This high-performance, energy-efficient project, which is making extensive use of concrete, aims to earn the Platinum LEED certification.
