The Application of Porous Concrete

Abstract

The southwest region of the United States is stressed for potable water and needs to positively utilize its current water resource. With the urban environment being mostly made up of concrete, it is now crucial to assess its development and application. The concrete used today is a mixture of cement, water and aggregates and is not permeable. The non-permeable property of common concrete prevents natural water absorption by the earth and greatly inhibits water to percolate back into the local water table. As concrete, has developed, porous concrete has been discovered. Porous concrete or pervious pavement is made in the same way that concrete is made with cement, aggregate, and water, but the aggregate used in porous concrete creates pores that allow water to pass through. By allowing water to pass through concrete, urban development will result in greater ground water recharge. As global warming intensifies weather patterns across the planet, Tucson, Arizona will experience heavier rainfall seasons. As the world’s climate changes, Tucson will experience heavier monsoon rain fall events. With heavier rain fall events urban flooding will become more of an issue. Grey infrastructure is needed to manage flooding caused by heavy rain fall. Porous concrete can be used as an effective way to manage storm water. This capstone has undertaken an extensive range of literature reviews to identify where porous concrete can be used for storm water harvesting. The literature reviews range from climate change to the benefits of storm water harvesting. Porous concrete allows storm water to infiltrate through it and back into the local aquifer and directs storm water into retention ponds for treatment and reuse. Porous concrete is a low impact development (LID) building material, which will turn urban development into Sustainable development. Porous concrete if used correctly for storm water harvesting can reduce potable water stress, reduce pollutants found in local waters, and reduce the strain on current storm drains. The required maintenance associated with porous concrete is minimal and not costly, therefore will be only briefly explained throughout this research. While porous concrete has a wide range of benefits ranging from water percolation to the reduction of the heat island effect, this paper will focus on its use as a means of storm water harvesting.