Development of a VDOT Special Provision for Pervious Concrete in Stormwater Management

Stormwater runoff is a major concern as more land is developed into urban settings, morphing areas previously capable of infiltrating a large amount of water into impervious surfaces on which contaminants are collected and large volumes of runoff flow. Many effective practices for managing stormwater runoff exist currently with each method dependent on the surrounding development and the demands of that specific application. One treatment method available now is pervious concrete (PC), a type of permeable pavement that allows runoff to infiltrate, thus capturing contaminants before they reach the groundwater and slowing the runoff to alleviate flooding. Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) currently has no applications of pervious concrete. The purpose of this study was to conduct a literature review, field observations, and laboratory work to formulate a special provision by which VDOT could implement the technology of pervious concrete as a stormwater management tool. The results of the literature review, field observations, and laboratory work are presented in addition to the special provision formulated specifically for VDOT. From the work conducted in this study, it is evident that PC is a candidate for stormwater management that could perform satisfactorily in the Virginia climate and could be constructed with locally available materials.