Pervious Concrete lets the "river run through it," so to speak, so that rainwater returns to and replenishes groundwater, instead of creating puddles and stormwater runoff, an environmental liability.
In pervious concrete, carefully controlled amounts of water and cementitious materials are used to create a paste that forms a thick coating around aggregate particles. A pervious concrete mixture contains little or no sand, creating a substantial void content. Using sufficient paste to coat and bind the aggregate particles together creates a system of highly permeable, interconnected voids that drains quickly.
Commercial and municipal users like pervious concrete's ability to save space. Instead of having to create retention ponds to collect stormwater runoff, this new solution makes more efficient use of the land and meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stormwater regulations. The use of pervious concrete is among the Best Management Practices (BMPs) recommended by the EPA and by other agencies and engineers across the country for the management of stormwater runoff.
It's a win-win-win: the property owner can make better use of acreage by avoiding the need for expensive and expansive retention ponds; their users and customers appreciate that puddles and mud disappears, leaving a clean, level surface; and, the environment wins because stormwater runoff is dramatically reduced.
Click here to download a PDF about Pervious Concrete.
Team Elmer's employed pervious concrete for the State of Michigan at Otsego Lake State Park. Campers are delighted to note safe, flat, dry concrete surfaces - ideal for fire pits and walking - and free of stormwater runoff. Click here to learn more.
