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Benefits
Applications
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Pervious Concrete Strength and Durability
Pervious concrete is a strong and highly durable material. Parking areas properly designed and constructed will last 20-40 years with little or no maintenance. Unlike asphalt, surface raveling (the loosening of surface aggregates) is common only in the first few weeks after the concrete is laid, and it can be reduced with proper compaction and curing techniques.
Pervious concrete mixes contain minimal amounts of water and therefore have very low slump (i.e. a stiff consistency). A much smaller amount of drying shrinkage occurs in the placement of pervious concrete than dense, and it develops sooner, as well. This allows many pervious pavements to be constructed without crack-preventing control joints. Random cracks that do form are not abundant, and they have no significant impact on the structural integrity of the pavement. They also generally do not detract aesthetically from the concrete's appearance.
Pervious pavements can achieve strengths in excess of 3000 psi (strong enough to support a fire truck), and even more with special mix designs, structural designs, and placement techniques. The key to high-performance concrete is the use of supplementary cementitious materials such as silica fume, fly ash, and blast furnace slag, all which increase durability by decreasing permeability and cracking. Concrete strength can also be maximized by installing subgrade and subbase levels of course and/or fine aggregates beneath the pavement.
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