Pervious concrete pavement performance in field applications and laboratory testing

Pervious concrete pavement is an environmentally friendly paving material that allows water to drain directly through the pavement structure and infiltrate into the subgrade. By reducing runoff, pervious concrete pavement decreases the demand on the stormwater management system. The Cement Association of Canada, the Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) and industry members across Canada have partnered to carry out an integrated laboratory and field project to evaluate the performance of pervious concrete pavement in the Canadian freeze-thaw climate. The intended result of the project will be to develop a design, construction and maintenance guide for the use of pervious concrete pavement in the Canadian climate. Test areas, including staff parking lots and driveways, have been constructed in various regions of Canada to demonstrate the behaviour of pervious concrete pavement in low volume applications. The test areas are monitored regularly for changes in permeability and development of surface distresses. Monitoring of the sites has been ongoing for the life time of the sites, which in some cases is over three years. The laboratory portion of the project involves accelerated freeze-thaw cycling of multiple pervious concrete slabs. The slabs have experienced the equivalency of three years of Canadian weather including precipitation and winter maintenance. Various winter maintenance techniques are performed and changes in permeability are monitored. Where applicable, slabs receive rehabilitative maintenance to renew and increase permeability. The performance and behaviour of the slabs will be included in this paper. The results collected to date from the test areas will also be included. The performance of the slabs in the laboratory and field sites will be compared and presented in this paper.