Pervious Concrete
Pervious concrete is a mixture of hydraulic cement, coarse aggregates (stone), water and admixtures. Pervious concrete contains little or no sand and is sometimes referred to as a no-fines concrete. The cement and water in pervious concrete forms a paste that binds the coarse aggregates together. A typical pervious concrete mixture will contain about 15-25% void space within the concrete. Many of the void spaces within the pervious concrete will be interconnected, forming channels that allow water and air to pass freely through the pavement structure unlike in the case of asphalt and concrete where the water cannot drain through the surface.
Pervious concrete is perfect for use in parking areas and roadways. With typical paved parking areas and roads, the chemicals that come from cars such as oil, brake fluid and grease, run off the surface and can make their way into a storm drain polluting the local waterways. With pervious concrete these chemicals are trapped and cannot harm the eco system. Pervious concrete is also great for storm water management.
Under new EPA regulations cities with over 50,000 people must employ a Best Management Practice (BMP) in handling their storm water. The use of pervious concrete has been approved by the EPA as a BMP. Pervious concrete can be a big part of low impact development (LID), defined as environmentally friendly land-use planning. The application of pervious concrete is recognized as a LID tool for storm water management as it allows storm water to pass through the pervious pavement and let it soak into the ground where it recharges the groundwater mimicking natural ground cover. Pervious concrete allows rainfall to percolate back into the soil where it falls, thereby replenishing aquifers naturally.
Pervious concrete storm water management systems become a part of sustainable development by offering protection to the environment while helping to sustain development. Two other ways that pervious concrete is sustainable are that it is as strong as regular concrete, meaning it will last for years, and it can use recycled materials from the power generation and steel industries. Another benefit is that pervious concrete can be installed over the drip line of tree roots, where other impervious surfaces could not. In addition, pervious concrete absorbs and stores less heat than conventional impervious pavements. Pervious concrete actually approaches natural ground cover in heat absorbing and storage capacity. Pervious concrete has energy and air quality benefits as well. In parking lots it reduces energy usage for lighting by 35-40%, it reduces smog by lowering urban temperatures and it promotes tree growth with subsequent air quality benefits from trees. As a homeowner, pervious concrete can save you money.
It eliminates the need to connect to storm sewer systems, saving the costs for drain inlets and underground piping. It reduces grading costs as it works great on flat surfaces. Finally there's virtually zero maintenance involved with pervious concrete and its long life expectancy means a significantly lower life-cycle cost as compared to asphalt. Van Midde and Son Concrete is certified by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association in the installation of pervious concrete. If you'd like an eco-friendly sustainable solution for your concrete needs than pervious concrete is for you.
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