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 Types of Porous Pavement

In our last blog, we discussed the various ins and outs of pervious pavement, namely, all of the wonderful benefits and applications it offers. In this blog, we will expand our discussion on permeable concrete by providing a brief description of the most common types used in the construction and road building industries. Continue reading to get started!

Commercial Concrete Paving 317-549-1833Commercial Concrete Paving 317-549-1833
Commercial Concrete Paving 317-549-1833

Permeable Concrete Grades and Applications

There are several types of pervious concrete, all of which have their own unique set of properties, and therefore, separate applications. Depending on the type of concrete work you are interested in having done, your choice of permeable pavement will vary greatly. Below are the most common types of porous pavements, what they are conventionally used for, and why they are recommended for such applications.

➤ Bound Recycled Glass Porous Pavement

This type of porous pavement is comprised of recycled glass, and bound together using resins and similar kinds of binding agents. Since it is a recycled product, it is a great initiative for the environment. Common applications include road and pedestrian paving.

➤ Permeable Clay Brick Pavers

Permeable clay brick pavements are made from fired clay. Similar to interlocking pavers, clay brick pavers can be laid out in custom patterns and filled in with organic material like soil or grass, or with cement and aggregate material. These are mostly used for decorative or architectural applications.

➤ Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavers

Similar to clay brick pavers, interlocking pavements can be laid out in custom patterns and filled in with organic material like soil or grass, and they are mostly used for decorative or architectural applications in public areas, like parks, plazas, and pools.

➤ Plastic Grids

Plastic grid pavements offer 100% permeability, making them perfect for areas where water runoff and drainage are issues. They are gaining popularity due to LEED project requirements. They are commonly used to reinforce gravel driveways, parking lots, and fire lanes. 

➤ Porous Asphalt

Porous asphalt is unique because it is not concrete, but rather, a bitumen mixture. It’s most common application is for highway and interstate drainage and water runoff.

➤ Porous Turf

Porous turf is a type of pavement that is mostly used in areas where parking it an occasional occurrence, such as state fairs, carnivals, churches, stadiums, and marinas.  

➤ Resin-Bound Paving

Resin-bound pavements are pavements made aggregate and held together with a clear resin.  They are commonly used for pedestrian and road paving, such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways, and parking lots.

➤ Single-Sized Aggregate

Single-sized aggregate is a type of pavement that does not have any binder material. For this reason, it is it commonly referred to as loose gravel.  It’s most common applications are for low-speed areas, like sidewalks and driveways. 

Commercial Concrete Paving in Indianapolis

Call ACI Asphalt and Concrete at 317-549-1833 for commercial paving services in Indianapolis and its surrounding areas. Our licensed and qualified paving contractors provide a wide range of concrete and asphalt repair and installation services at the most competitive prices in town. Request a free estimate, today.

Indianapolis Pavement Repair Company
Indianapolis Pavement Repair Company 317-549-1833

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.