Snow Removal for Pervious Concrete
Pervious concrete, also known as porous, gap-graded, or enhanced porosity concrete, is concrete with reduced sand that allows water to drain through it. There are a number of benefits to the use of pervious concrete in commercial construction and as a result, it is becoming an increasingly popular material.
Benefits of Pervious Concrete
The use of pervious concrete over an aggregate storage bed reduces stormwater runoff volume, rate, and pollutants. In addition, pervious concrete is durable, low maintenance, and has a low life cycle cost. With an increasing number of developers seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for their projects, the environmental benefits of pervious concrete make it an attractive component for Leed-seeking projects.
Applications of Pervious Concrete
Private development projects use pervious concrete to meet post-construction stormwater quantity and quality requirements, but there are also benefits relating to land use. Because surfaces paved with pervious concrete increase the area available for stormwater drainage, they can potentially reduce additional expenditures and land consumption for conventional stormwater infrastructure. In addition, pervious concrete is a naturally brighter surface than traditional asphalt, and thus can be used to reduce lighting needs and increase nighttime safety.
Snow Removal Do’s and Dont’s
Pervious concrete works well in colder climates due to its rapid surface drainage which reduces the occurrence of freezing puddles and black ice. Nonetheless, if sand, dust, or other sediment collect in pervious concrete’s voids, it will reduce the porosity. As a result, sand and salt should not be applied in snowy or icy conditions. In addition, plowed snow piles should not be left to melt over pervious concrete as their high sediment concentrations can also result in clogging.
When snow does build up on pervious concrete surfaces, it should ideally be remove using a rotary broom to avoid damage. When this is not possible, snow should be cleared using a plow with a lower edge made of plastic or rubber. Metal plows should be avoided as their blades tend to catch stones (particularly at joints) and cause damage to pervious surfaces.
