Pervious concrete, also known as porous or permeable concrete, is a popular paving material in the United States, and for many reasons. Continue reading to learn which kinds of financial and environmental advantages you can expect from choosing to pave with porous concrete.
What is Pervious Pavement?
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.
Common applications for pervious concrete include retaining walls, parking lots, sidewalks, residential driveways, patios, low-water bridges, well linings, swimming pool decks, and low-volume pavements.
Environmental Benefits
As mentioned, pervious pavement mimics the natural water runoff process that occurs when rain comes into contact with the ground. Not only do pervious pavements return rainwater to the underground water table, they also retain contaminants and solid pollutants, thus keeping our ground water cleaner and safer for consumption. Additional environmental benefits include, but are not limited to:
✓ Water Runoff Reduction
✓ Groundwater Revitalization
✓ Contaminant and Pollutant Filtration
✓ Surface Temperature Control
✓ Prevents “Heat Island Effect”
✓ Retention Basin/Water Collection Area Alternative
Financial Benefits
As a property owner, you can reap several financial benefits by choosing to pave with pervious concrete. As just mentioned, pervious pavements eliminate the need for water collection areas and retention basins, which delivers instant savings. Furthermore, concrete installation is much cheaper than its alternative paving material options.
Not only is the actual material cheaper, concrete is easier and quicker to install, especially since there is no need for underground piping, storm drains, or sloping/grading. All this reduces labor costs. Additional financial benefits include, but are not limited to:
✓ Reduced Salt and De-Icing in Winter
✓ Low Maintenance
✓ Lasts Up to 40 Years
Types of Pervious Concrete
There are various types of pervious pavements, including porous asphalt, single-sized aggregate, plastic grids, porous turf, permeable interlocking concrete pavers, permeable clay brick pavers, resin-bound paving, bound recycled glass porous pavement. Be sure to check back with our blog page at the end of the month for a closer look at these types of porous pavements!
Commercial Concrete Paving in Indianapolis
Call ACI Asphalt and Concrete at 317-549-1833 for commercial and industrial concrete paving in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our licensed and qualified paving contractors provide several Indianapolis asphalt and concrete paving services, including pavement repair, sealcoating, road work, commercial paving, industrial paving, winter cold patching, and more. We are the industry veterans to trust for skilled craftsmanship and competitive prices! Request a free estimate, today.
