What is Pervious Pavement?

When in the market for some paving work, you will likely come across the term, pervious pavement. Also known as porous concrete or permeable concrete, pervious pavements are a high porosity material, making it an important application for certain types of properties and climates. Continue reading to learn what pervious pavement is, and how it compared to other types of paving materials.

Indianapolis Commercial Concrete 317-549-1833
Indianapolis Commercial Concrete 317-549-1833

Pervious, Permeable, and Porous

Pervious is a term that means “permeable”, or “admitting of passage or entrance.” When applied to the paving industry, the term pervious refers to concrete pavements that allow water to run through them, which imitates the natural rainwater runoff process. This may sound like a feature that you wouldn’t want for your paved surfaces, however, there are various surprising benefits porous concrete pavements come with. Not only does this process reduce water runoff, solve drainage issues on paved surfaces, and return rainwater to underground aqueducts, it catches suspended solids and contaminants. This prevents excess groundwater pollution.

What’s Inside Permeable Concrete

Pervious pavement is rough, uneven, and bulky in appearance. This is due to the specific amounts of water and aggregate used to attain high air content with just enough “cementitious” paste to coat particles and interconnect voids. Although high-porosity pavement can be comprised of various materials, the most common include cement, coarse aggregates, fine aggregates, and water. Fine aggregates are used sparingly, but usually sand or clay is used. 

Pervious Pavement Uses

Common applications for pervious concrete include pavement surfacing, parking lots, sidewalks, retaining walls, residential driveways, patios, low-water bridges, well linings, swimming pool decks, and low-volume pavements. Additional applications for high porosity pavement include residential roadways, load bearing walls, low-water bridges, fountains, infill panels, and outdoor showers.

Fun Facts About the History of Permeable Concrete:

✎ First introduced in Europe in the 1800’s for structural building.

✎ After WWII concrete was scarce, making permeable material popular again.

✎ Pervious paving was first proposed in the U.S. back in the 1960s with the goal of decreasing floods, raising water tables, and replenishing aquifers.

✎ In the 70’s, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began cost and efficiency testing of permeable pavement.

✎ Edmund Thelen and L. Fielding Howe developed the first official documented design for permeable pavement in 1977, entitled “Porous Pavement.”

Indianapolis Commercial Concrete Pavement Installation and Repair

Call ACI Asphalt and Concrete at 317-549-1833 for licensed, bonded, and insured commercial concrete services in Indianapolis, Indiana. We offer a wide range of paving services for commercial and industrial properties, at the most competitive prices in town, including inspections, installation, replacement, repair, and more. Request a free quote, today.

Common Applications for High Porosity Pavement

Asphalt Concrete Paving 317-549-1833

Asphalt Concrete Paving 317-549-1833

High porosity pavement can come in many forms, including both asphalt and concrete materials. Also known as pervious or porous pavement, high porosity pavement is a special because it is designed to allow rainwater to permeate through its pores and into the ground below. Not only is this function beneficial to our local water tables, it is a workable solution to drainage problems, safety concerns, and natural wear and tear for paved surfaces. Continue reading to learn more about high porosity pavement, and its common applications in the building and construction industries.

Underground Aquifers and Pollution Prevention

Porous asphalt and permeable concrete imitate the natural process of rainwater. As rain falls, it is absorbed into the ground, passing through layer upon layer until it reaches the underground aquifer reserves. Since high porosity pavement allows water to pass right through it, it does not impede the natural process of groundwater absorption. Not only does this process reduce water runoff, solve drainage issues on paved surfaces, and return rainwater to underground aqueducts, it catches suspended solids and contaminants. This prevents excess groundwater pollution.

Additional Applications for High Porosity Pavement:

➛ Residential Roadways
➛ Driveways
➛ Parking Lots
➛ Sidewalks
➛ Well Linings
➛ Pool Decks
➛ Patios
➛ Load Bearing Walls
➛ Low-Volume Pavements
➛ Low-Water Bridges
➛ And More

Composition

High porosity pavement is rough, uneven, and bulky in appearance. This is due to the specific amounts of water and aggregate used to attain high air content with just enough cementitious paste to coat particles and interconnect voids. Although high porosity pavement can be comprised of various materials, the most common include cement, course aggregates, fine aggregates, and water. Fine aggregates are used sparingly, but usually sand or clay is used.

Types of High Porosity Pavement:

➛ Porous Asphalt
➛ Single-Sized Aggregate
➛ Plastic Grids
➛ Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavers
➛ Permeable Clay Brick Pavers
➛ Bound Recycled Glass Porous Pavement
➛ Resin-Bound Paving
➛ Porous Turf

Commercial and Industrial Paving in Indianapolis

Parking Lot Paving Indianapolis Indiana

Indianapolis Paving 317-549-1833

Call ACI Asphalt and Concrete Inc. at 317-549-1833 for commercial and industrial asphalt paving services in Indianapolis and its surrounding areas. Owner, Lindsey Lewis, and his team of paving contractors, provide a wide range of pavement repair and installation services at the most competitive prices in town. Call 317-549-1833 to request a free estimate for Indianapolis paving, today.

Types of Permeable Pavement

Asphalt Concrete Paving 317-549-1833

Asphalt Concrete Paving 317-549-1833

In last week’s blog, we discussed permeable pavement. In this week’s blog, we thought it necessary to expatiate our conversation of pervious concrete by discussing the different types used in the building and construction industry. Permeable concrete is a paving material used all across the country; and over the past decade, its number of applications has only continued to increase. You will often find permeable pavement in the form of sidewalks, driveways, streets, parking lots, municipal spaces, and more.

Elements of Permeable Concrete

Permeable concrete is made up of a variety of elements. These elements generally include cement, water, and a combination of course aggregate material. Aggregates are essentially a combination of crumbled rock and gravel, such as granite, limestone, sandstone, and slag. And as for permeable concrete, course aggregates mostly include sand, gravel, crushed stone, and reclaimed concrete.

Types of Pervious Concrete

Single-Sized Aggregate – Also known as “loose gravel”, single-sized aggregate does not contain a binder, hence the moniker. It is best used for low-speed applications, such as driveways, sidewalks, and walking paths.

Porous Turf – On the subject of grass, porous turf is commonly used for commercial properties that require occasional parking. This includes churches, stadiums, fairgrounds, and more.

Porous Asphalt – For the purpose of removing excess water, porous asphalt is generally applied for highway and interstate paving purposes.

Permeable Interlocking Pavers – Permeable interlocking concrete pavers are individual units that are laid out in an interlocking grid pattern for spaces that are filled with grass or stone. They are commonly used in public or municipal spaces because of its architectural, upscale appeal, but also as driveway upgrades, patios, terraces, and more.

Plastic Grids – Plastic grids are 100% porous. Because of current LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) project requirements, they are becoming more and more popular every year. Plastic grids are best used for reinforce applications for driveways, parking lots, and fire lanes; but they can also be planted with grass.

Permeable Clay Brick Pavers – These are essentially the same as interlocking pavers, except they are made of fired clay.

Bound Recycled Glass – Bound recycled glass porous pavement is simply a combination of recycled glass materials, resins, and binding agents. It is generally a colorful pavement, and highly admired for its and environmental preservation benefits. It is also generally difficult to find, since very few vendors manufacture this type of porous pavement.

Resin-Bound Pavement – Resin bound pavement is a mixture of transparent resins and course aggregates. It is best used for pedestrian and vehicular applications such as driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots.

Indianapolis Concrete Paving

Asphalt Concrete Repair

Asphalt & Concrete Services 317-549-1833

Call ACI Asphalt and Concrete Inc. at 317-549-1833 to request an estimate for Indianapolis concrete paving, today. Owner, Lindsey Lewis, and his team of licensed and insured paving contractors, have decades of experience in the paving industry. We are fully-equipped and staffed to manage any pavement installation and repair request, regardless of size or scope. Contact us today at 317-549-1833 when you need concrete paving service in Indianapolis, Indiana.