Pervious concrete pavement is an environmentally friendly pavement alternative for low speed, low volume applications. The high void content of the material allows moisture to drain from the surface and naturally infiltrate into the subgrade or be collected and drained away from the site. By draining moisture through the pavement structure the natural water cycle can be maintained while reducing the demand on stormwater management infrastructure.
The Cement Association of Canada (CAC), industry members and Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology (CPATT) at the University of Waterloo (UW) partnered to develop a Design, Construction and Maintenance Guide for the use of pervious concrete pavement in Canada. This paper will present many of the recommendations in the guide as well as briefly discuss the research that was carried out in developing the recommendations.
A multi year integrated laboratory and field study was carried out to evaluate the performance of pervious concrete pavement in Canada. Five field sites were constructed across Canada. The field sites were used to evaluate alternative pavement structures, materials and construction practices. The performance of each field site was monitored from the surface as well as using instrumentation that had been included during construction. Winter maintenance methods were carried out at the field sites and the outcome of these activities was assessed. Permeability renewal maintenance methods were used as needed and also trialed for research purposes. The field sites were each unique and provided information for a variety of scenarios and conditions. The performance observed and data collected at the field sites was used to develop many of the recommendations provided in the guide.
In addition to the full scale field sites, laboratory research was also carried out. This research focused on the performance of pervious concrete pavement when exposed to freeze-thaw cycling and varying winter maintenance activities. Large pervious concrete samples were exposed to continual freeze-thaw cycling using a walk-in freezer. The controlled environment of the testing created fewer variables than the field sites and the opportunity to link observations between the field and laboratory results.
The guide presents recommendations from the design to maintenance aspects of pervious concrete pavement use in Canada. The research for this project indicated that pervious concrete pavement could be used successfully in southern Canada when the necessary factors were considered and addressed throughout the life of the pavement.
